House Advances Limited Stock-Trading Ban for Members

The House passed the Stop Insider Trading Act 232-198, which would bar members of Congress from buying individual stocks while in office, while allowing them to keep existing holdings and to sell portions of their portfolios if they publicly disclose seven days before the sale; penalties for mis-disclosures would rise to at least $2,000 or 10% of the transaction value. The bill also adds a voter-ID requirement, drawing Democratic opposition, and its fate in the Senate remains unclear, with critics calling it a weak reform that falls short of a full ban.