The U.S. House of Representatives will soon take up legislation to ban insider trading by lawmakers and their families once the government reopens , a move that potentially could also pave the way for extending restrictions to cryptocurrency trading among elected officials.
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) confirmed that the measure, long delayed by the government shutdown, will be formally reviewed in committee.
"Speaker Johnson has notified me that as soon as we return and the government is reopened, the bill to ban insider trading is going to be marked up in committee," Luna said . "It's a big win for America."
The bill , known as the Restore Trust in Congress Act, seeks to ban members of Congress, their spouses, and dependents from owning, buying, or selling individual stocks, securities, commodities, or futures.
It follows a wave of public outrage over questionable trades by lawmakers amid market turmoil triggered by President Donald Trump's tariff policies earlier this year.
Public pressure builds after "Liberation Day" trades
A University of Maryland poll found that 86% of Americans support banning lawmakers from trading stocks, reflecting growing frustration over perceived conflicts of interest.
Reports surfaced earlier this year showing that several members of Congress and their families made hundreds of stock trades around the time markets plunged and rebounded following Trump's "Liberation Day" tariff announcement in April.
The bipartisan proposal has drawn backing from across the political spectrum. Reps. Chip Roy (R-Texas) and Seth Magaziner (D-R.I.) introduced the measure alongside Luna, with support from progressive Democrats such as Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and libertarian-leaning Republicans like Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.).
"They do not send us here to enrich ourselves," Roy said in September. "If you want to day trade, leave Congress. It's that simple. If you come up here with the trust of the American people, do your job."
Even Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent expressed openness to the idea, calling a trading ban "a necessary step toward restoring integrity in government."
Could a stock trading ban expand to crypto?
This comes as Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) introduces a separate but related measure aimed at banning cryptocurrency ownership and trading by U.S. officials, including the President and members of Congress.
Khanna's proposal - unveiled just weeks before the shutdown - would prohibit elected officials, their spouses, and immediate family members from buying, selling, or creating cryptocurrencies. It would also require them to divest existing digital assets into blind trusts and bar them from accepting foreign crypto-linked payments.
Related: 'Silicon Valley' congressman to introduce bill banning Trump from trading, issuing crypto
The move followed President Trump's controversial decision to pardon Binance founder Changpeng Zhao (CZ), who pleaded guilty to money-laundering violations in 2023. Critics said the pardon raised questions about political influence and corruption in the digital asset space.
"We have a president who is enriching himself and his family in an obscene wealth that is unprecedented in American history," Khanna said on MSNBC. "We cannot turn a blind eye to this corruption" he added.
Khanna, who represents Silicon Valley and serves on the House Oversight Committee, said the legislation responds directly to "blatant corruption" and aims to prevent elected officials from profiting from the same assets they influence through policy.
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Insiders say those discussions could gain traction quickly once the government is fully operational. With Trump's tariff dividend plan and continued market volatility dominating headlines, public appetite for financial transparency among elected officials is only growing.
If both the insider-trading and crypto-trading bans move forward, it would mark the most sweeping reform for financial markets.
The House is expected to vote today at 4 p.m. ET, determining whether the nation's longest government shutdown will finally come to an end.
This story was originally reported by TheStreet on Nov 12, 2025, where it first appeared in the Policy section. Add TheStreet as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
