Bill to Ban Lawmakers and Spouses from Trading Stocks Heading Toward Vote

BALLASY: “Senator Josh Hawley introduced a bill that would ban lawmakers and their spouses from trading individual stock. That bill is heading toward a committee vote on Wednesday. There’s been some reports that Hawley might change the language of the legislation in order to gain some votes from Democrat members of the committee. Those changes under consideration include covering the office of vice president and president with that individual stock ban on lawmakers and their spouses. Now, that is just a report that we’re hearing about in terms of the possible changes. Nothing has been set in stone yet. The committee hearing will take place on Wednesday in the Senate.”

HAWLEY: “Yeah, I hope so. Listen, Mike Johnson, I know, has said after the president endorsed a stock trade ban, he said that he would move a stock trade ban in the House. He got a whole bunch of House Republicans and House Democrats who have voted for and supported a stock trade ban in the past. This has been a bipartisan bill in the past that we’ve got done in the Senate last year. This passed out of the Homeland Security Committee. So, we’re going to give it another shot this year. I hope it’ll pass and I hope this is something the president can sign.”

Reporter: “Have you talked with Leader Thune about this?”

HAWLEY: “I have and I’ve urged him to support it. So, we shall see.”