{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.ricketts.senate.gov/news/press-releases/ricketts-op-ed-its-time-to-ban-congressional-insider-trading/", "Ricketts Op-Ed: It\u2019s Time to Ban Congressional Insider Trading", "2026-07-23", "2026", "2026-07", "Republican", "Senate", "NE", "Pete Ricketts", "R000618", "www.ricketts.senate.gov", "ricketts", "https://www.ricketts.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/?jsf=jet-engine:press-list&pagenum=", "scraper", "The following op-ed by U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE) was originally published by the National Review on July 22, 2026.\n\nWhen the American people send lawmakers to Washington, they expect them to serve their constituents. Sadly, polling confirms that many Americans believe politicians are abusing their positions for personal financial gain.\n\nOver 80 percent of Americans believe members of Congress do a bad job keeping their personal financial interests separate from their work in Congress. As a result, it should come as no surprise that only 15 percent of Americans approve of how Congress handles its job.\n\nPolling doesn\u2019t just tell the story. History does, too.\n\nSocial media accounts publish routine updates tracking a former speaker\u2019s stock trade. Today, mimicking a few lawmakers\u2019 trades is a legitimate investment strategy. In 2020, the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee sold over $1.5 million in stock just days prior to the pandemic-induced market crash. Stories like these underscore the need to act. Even the perception of self-dealing by lawmakers erodes public trust and can negatively impact voter participation in our democracy.\n\nTo be clear, no lawmaker should profit from insider information.\n\nMy Stop Insider Trading Act is the solution. President Trump has voiced support for this legislation. Just last week, Vice President Vance told House Republicans we need to pass it.\n\nThere are a couple of big reasons why we need to get this bill to the president\u2019s desk. First, it eliminates even the appearance of impropriety by prohibiting members of Congress, their spouses, and dependent children from buying new stock. If a lawmaker or their family already owns stock, they can maintain ownership. However, if members of Congress or their families wish to sell stock, they must publicly disclose those plans seven days in advance. Doing so allows the public \u2014 and the market \u2014 to get ahead of any news that could impact a stock\u2019s price.\n\nSecond, my bill carries significant penalties. Any violation would incur a $2,000 fine or a fine that is 10 percent of the transaction \u2014 whichever is greater. Additionally, any profit realized by a sale would also be forfeited. Under my bill, if a lawmaker sold $1 million in stock without filing advanced public notice, they would be fined $100,000 \u2014 plus forfeit any profits. It\u2019s time Congress made this the standard.\n\nThe Stop Insider Trading Act is a product of months of detailed conversations and extensive negotiation. Despite negotiating in good faith, some continue to undermine these potential reforms. Their demands are meant to score political points, not serve the American people. That\u2019s a tactic that only hinders good legislation.\n\nOthers have argued that lawmakers should be forced to divest their portfolios. That would have unintended consequences. Forced divestiture would discourage Americans with successful private sector careers from serving in Congress. If we hope to maintain America\u2019s dominance in the global economy, we can\u2019t afford to lose that experience and perspective in Washington.\n\nAmericans need trust and transparency from Congress. Voters are demanding action. My Stop Insider Trading Act delivers.\n\nBoth the House and Senate need to move this bill quickly to the president\u2019s desk. It has Democratic support. President Trump and Vice President Vance have voiced their support. America has voiced its support. Congress should capitalize on that momentum.\n\nThe Stop Insider Trading Act ensures no lawmaker can profit from insider information. By passing it, we can rebuild Americans\u2019 trust in their elected representatives. Democrats had their chance to address this issue when they controlled the House and the Senate. They didn\u2019t. Now, Republicans stand ready to deliver.\n\nIt\u2019s time Congress put real safeguards in place for lawmaker stock trading. I\u2019m committed to getting the job done.", 1, "2026-07-24T07:30:11Z", "2026-07-24T07:31:13Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.ricketts.senate.gov/news/press-releases/ricketts-op-ed-its-time-to-ban-congressional-insider-trading/"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.8425461128354073, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}