WASHINGTON — Lawmakers have renewed their interest in the past week in banning members of Congress from buying and selling stock.
The bipartisan push comes as the Securities and Exchange Commission continues an investigation into Sen. Richard Burr about whether he used non-public information regarding the COVID-19 pandemic to sell off stocks before the market plummeted.
On Jan. 12, Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Georgia, introduced Senate Bill 3494 which, if passed, would amend the Ethics in Government Act to require members of Congress, their spouses and their dependents to use a blind trust for buying and selling stocks. The bill clarifies that this does not include diversified mutual funds, diversified exchange-traded funds and primary compensation from a spouse or dependent. It also does not include U.S. Treasury bills, notes or bonds.
