Is Congress a public service or a personal piggy bank? Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., is taking a bold stand against insider trading by lawmakers, filing a discharge petition to force a House vote on banning stock trading among Congressional members.
According to Breitbart, this initiative, backed by a bipartisan coalition, seeks to compel House leadership to address the festering issue of potential corruption tied to lawmakers’ stock market activities.
Luna announced her move with a video on X, explaining that discussions with fellow conservative Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., spurred her to act due to the House’s inaction on this pressing matter.
“After our bipartisan coalition, and talking this morning, we have decided because of a lack of movement from [the] House of Representatives — to initiate the discharge petition on banning insider trading, meaning it is live now,” Luna declared. Well, it’s about time someone turned up the heat on this issue—Congress shouldn’t be a VIP lounge for Wall Street wannabes.
The petition is now active, ready for signatures, and could pave the way for a forced vote if leadership continues to drag its feet. Luna’s frustration with the status quo is palpable, and she’s not alone in wanting to clean house.
She even extended an olive branch, expressing willingness to support any bill from leadership that would effectively curb this kind of corruption. That’s a fair offer, but let’s see if the higher-ups take the hint or keep playing the delay game.
Luna didn’t shy away from calling this push to ban stock trading one of the most bipartisan efforts in American history. It’s a rare day when both sides of the aisle might agree that lawmakers shouldn’t profit off privileged info.
Adding weight to the cause, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has voiced support for a single-stock trading ban, pointing to the credibility crisis facing Congress. “I am going to start pushing for this single-stock trading ban, because it is the credibility of the House and the Senate,” Bessent said. Eye-popping returns by some lawmakers raise eyebrows, and he’s right to call for accountability.
Bessent’s concern about public trust isn’t just talk—it’s a warning that Congress risks looking like a rigged casino if nothing changes. The American people deserve better than representatives who seem more focused on portfolios than policy.
Meanwhile, Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., has reintroduced the Preventing Elected Leaders from Owning Securities and Investments Act, cleverly dubbed the PELOSI Act after Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. This legislation aims to stop members of Congress and their families from trading or holding stocks.
Hawley took a sharp jab at Pelosi, noting her and her husband’s financial gains that rival top hedge funds. It’s hard not to wonder if such success comes from market genius or something a bit more… inside. His bill is a direct challenge to the cozy status quo.
The PELOSI Act isn’t just a catchy name—it’s a serious attempt to draw a line in the sand. If passed, it could reshape how lawmakers approach personal investments, forcing a focus on public service over private gain.
Rep. Burchett, a key ally in Luna’s coalition, didn’t mince words about the state of Congress, calling it a broken system in desperate need of reform. His bluntness reflects a growing frustration among conservatives who want Washington to prioritize ethics over enrichment.
Luna’s discharge petition, now live, is a wake-up call for leadership to act before they’re forced to by a vote. It’s a gamble, but one that could finally align Congress with the American people’s demand for integrity. The question remains: Will House leaders step up with a bill to end this corruption, or will they let this bipartisan momentum fizzle out? For now, Luna and her allies are holding their feet to the fire, and it’s a fight worth watching.