Rep. Pappas Urges Action to Ban Member Stock Trading

Following a report that the effort he has helped lead to ban member stock trading has stalled, Pappas once again is urging House leadership to call for a vote

Pappas authored an OpEd in the New Hampshire Union Leader in February calling out his party for opposing these commonsense, bipartisan reforms

WASHINGTON, DC - Today, Congressman Chris Pappas (NH-01) reiterated his call on House leadership to put a bill on the floor and call for a vote to ban stock trading by members of Congress. This action follows this morning's report in Punchbowl News which detailed: "the effort to reform the STOCK Act is stalled and there's no path forward at the moment. One even described the effort as "in ‘Nowhereland.'"

"There is no shortage of bipartisan legislation ready to go right now that would ban stock trading by members of Congress, including bills I've helped introduce," said Congressman Pappas. "House leadership could put a bill on the floor today if they wanted, and the continued effort to slow-walk this process remains incredibly frustrating to members of both parties who support these reforms as well as my constituents. Each day that passes is another day that elected officials are allowed to use their public service for personal profit. I'll keep calling on leadership to get a bill to the floor for a vote. There is absolutely no reason for this continued delay."

Pappas broke with Democratic House leadership in support of the stock trading ban in 2021, and after his advocacy, Speaker Pelosi reversed course and announced legislation to ban stock trading by members of Congress would be considered by the House. He supports and has helped lead several pieces of legislation to make these needed reforms.

Pappas is a co-sponsor of H.R. 336, the Transparent Representation Upholding Service and Trust in Congress (TRUST) Act. This bill requires a Member of Congress, as well as any spouse or dependent child of a Member, to place specified investments into a qualified blind trust until 180 days after the end of their tenure as a Member of Congress.

Pappas has also co-sponsored H.R.1579, the Ban Conflicted Trading Act, which would prohibit members of Congress from certain financial activities while holding office, including purchasing or selling specified investments and entering into a transaction that creates a net short position in a security.