adminRep. Bryan Steil, a conservative voice from Wisconsin, told Newsmax’s National Report that members of Congress “shouldn’t be getting rich off inside info” and urged sensible reforms to stop insiders from profiting while hard-working Americans suffer. His blunt message is the right one: public servants ought to serve the public, not play the markets with privileged information.
Steil’s remarks come as lawmakers on both sides of the aisle face intense scrutiny over stock trades tied to congressional actions, and the Senate has even advanced legislation aimed at banning members from trading individual stocks. The debate is heating up because the public has lost faith in a system where connected insiders can seemingly cash in on policy leaks while ordinary families get left behind.
Across the Hill, members are negotiating bipartisan proposals that would force divestment of individual stock holdings and tighten penalties for violations, a move designed to restore faith in representative government. Supporters argue these measures would close loopholes that the 2012 STOCK Act left ambiguous, and opponents warn about overreach that could chill service.
It’s worth remembering the STOCK Act of 2012 already affirmed that members of Congress are not exempt from insider-trading laws and imposed disclosure rules, but enforcement and clarity have been weak. If the goal is accountability rather than political theater, Congress should build on that framework—tighten reporting windows, clarify duties, and make enforcement real so Americans see justice, not cover-ups.
Even on the right there’s a debate over the right path forward: some Republicans favor a clean ban on owning or trading individual stocks, while others want protections for members who use brokers or blind trusts. That argument matters, because conservatives should lead on a solution that protects constitutional property rights while stamping out corrupt behavior that betrays voters.
Conservatives should demand two things at once: rigorous, enforceable rules that prevent insider profiteering, and reforms that don’t punish ordinary members or discourage successful Americans from serving. Practical fixes like mandatory blind trusts, short windows for divestment, and real penalties for tip-offs would cure the worst abuses without stripping citizens of wealth they earned outside government.
Our movement must own this issue and champion reform that restores trust in government while standing up for free enterprise. Voters deserve a Congress that fights for American families and jobs, not a class of market-savvy insiders who treat public office as a get-rich scheme.
