Anna Paulina Luna to try to force congressional stock trade ban vote
Representative Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) has committed to introducing a discharge petition to force a House vote on a bill banning members of Congress from trading stocks. Although numerous bills aiming to ban congressional stock trading have been introduced over the years-an issue widely supported by the public-none have reached a full vote on the House floor. LunaS effort intends to overcome this longstanding legislative blockage.
The discharge petition requires 218 signatures to compel the house speaker to schedule a vote after seven legislative days. Luna criticized the notion that discharge petitions are merely “tools of the minority,” arguing that such excuses maintain the status quo and hinder congressional action. However, some Republicans express concern that Luna’s push may create conflict with House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), potentially undermining the bill’s prospects.
The issue has recently gained momentum with endorsements from former President Donald Trump, Speaker Johnson, and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), all supporting a ban to avoid any appearance of impropriety. Current legislation includes the 2012 Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge Act, which requires disclosure of stock trades but imposes minimal penalties.
On the Senate side, bipartisan efforts have seen bills pass committee stages aiming to ban stock trading for Congress members, with senators like Jon Ossoff and Mark kelly actively reintroducing such legislation. Luna plans to bring the petition forward when the House returns from its district work period in early September.
Anna Paulina Luna to try to force vote for congressional stock trade ban
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) has pledged to introduce a discharge petition for a bill to ban members of Congress from trading stocks, an effort to force a vote on the House floor for the longtime issue.
Dozens of bills have been introduced to ban congressional stock trading, which remains popular among the public, but none have reached the House floor for a full vote. Luna plans on changing that.
“The idea that a discharge petition is ‘only a tool of the minority’ is just an excuse to keep power consolidated in the hands of people who don’t actually want your member of Congress to legislate or fight for you,” Luna wrote in a post on X.
The House is currently out of session for a six-week district work period and is set to return to Washington the first week of September, when Luna has said she will bring the petition forward. Her office did not give a comment to the Washington Examiner on when exactly she plans on bringing it forward.
Some Republicans have expressed frustration with Luna’s effort to force the speaker to put the bill on the floor, one senior GOP House staffer told the Washington Examiner Friday.
“Luna is going to end up shooting herself and anybody who supports this bill in the foot by picking a fight with [House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA)],” the staffer said.
Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN), a longtime supporter of the ban, told the Washington Examiner Friday that forcing a vote on the issue is the only option if you want “a real bill.” He did not specify if he would support her effort.
This longtime issue received support recently after President Donald Trump, Johnson, and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) all endorsed a ban.
“I’m in favor of that because I don’t think we should have any appearance of impropriety here,” Johnson said earlier this year.
With 218 signatures, a discharge petition will force the speaker to call a vote on the bill. After the petition reaches that threshold, the member can call a vote after seven legislative days.
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This issue has had many pushes but has never been fully successful. The Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge Act, signed into law in 2012, prohibits members from acting on insider information and requires them to report their trades within 45 days, but the law acts more as a slap on the wrist. The penalty is a mere $200 fine, and members have not been punished for said violations.
Last year, a group of bipartisan senators, including Sens. Jon Ossoff (D-GA), Gary Peters (D-MI), Josh Hawley (R-MO), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), and Jacky Rosen (D-NV), introduced legislation that passed out of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee to ban stock trading for sitting Congress members, marking the first time a bill with this language passed out of committee. Ossoff and Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) reintroduced legislation in the Senate on Thursday in another push for a congressional stock trading ban.
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