Rep. Anna Paulina Luna filed a resolution on Friday that would immediately require the House of Representatives to consider the End Congressional Stock Trading Act, a bill that bans members of Congress and their families from trading and owning stocks.
Luna’s resolution comes as both Democrats and Republicans, as well as President Donald Trump, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) have all endorsed a ban on stock trading. Dozens of bills have been introduced over the years on a ban, but none have reached the House floor.
“No one sent to Congress should be enriching themselves through Wall Street while writing the very laws that regulate our markets,” Luna said in a statement. “This bill is about accountability, transparency, and restoring faith in the institution of Congress.”
The End Congressional Stock Trading Act would require members, their spouses, and their dependent children to divest from all individual stocks, bonds, commodities, and other securities within 180 days of the bill becoming law. Complex private investments must be divested within two years of the bill’s enactment.
Currently, the Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge Act prohibits members from acting on insider information and requires them to report trades within 45 days. However, the law is more of a slap on the wrist rather than a binding ban, with only a $200 fine, and members have not been punished for any violations to date.
On Thursday, Luna said she would file a special rule that would allow her to call up a discharge petition, a mechanism that forces a vote on a bill typically opposed by leadership, that would bring the End Congressional Stock Trading Act to the floor.
Johnson and other Republicans have called the petition a “tool of the minority.” But Luna has said that that is “just an excuse to keep power consolidated in the hands of people who don’t actually want your member of Congress to legislate or fight for you.”
“I realize this will make me very unpopular with some of my colleagues, but I don’t care,” Luna said. “It’s the right thing to do. More importantly, it’s what the American people want. [Trump] also supports this, and so does [Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent].”
“I hope the powers at be do the right thing and bring legislation to the floor to stop insider trading. It has to happen immediately. The corruption is bad,” Luna continued. “If they do not and slow roll this, I fully plan on calling this up this petition.”
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Luna’s resolution comes a few days before lawmakers return to Capitol Hill after a six-week district work period. Along with a ban on congressional stock trading, the House GOP agenda will have to contend with a government funding deadline of Sept. 30 and a continuous push from their conservative base to release the Jeffrey Epstein files.
With members of both parties supporting a stock trading ban, Luna would likely achieve the 218 signatures required to force the speaker to call a vote on the bill. After the petition reaches that threshold, the member can call a vote after seven legislative days.