Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Chris Pappas (D-NH)
Pappas signs bipartisan discharge petition that would require a vote on legislation to ban members of Congress from trading stocks and getting rich on inside information.
Today, Congressman Chris Pappas (NH-01) announced his support for a discharge petition that would force a vote on the Restore Trust in Congress Act. Rep. Pappas is a co-sponsor of this bipartisan legislation that would ban Members of Congress from trading stocks and profiting off of public service.
Since entering Congress, Pappas has repeatedly broken with his own party in support of the stock trading ban. Following his advocacy, then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi reversed course and announced legislation to ban stock trading by members of Congress would be considered by the House. Pappas has regularly called on Speaker Johnson to allow a vote on this common-sense, bipartisan legislation.
“For me, representing Granite Staters in Congress will always be about public service, not self-service,” said Congressman Pappas. “But far too many of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle are prolific stock traders who could potentially use inside information to enrich themselves at the expense of the people they were elected to serve. The leadership of both parties has blocked common-sense reforms even as the majority of Americans demand action. That is why I am joining this bipartisan effort to force a vote on legislation that would ban Members of Congress from trading stocks and help restore faith and trust in this institution.”
Pappas helped introduce the TRUST in Congress Act, which would require Members of Congress — as well as their spouses and dependent children — to put certain investment assets into a qualified blind trust during their entire tenure in Congress, effectively banning them from trading individual stocks.
Pappas has led the fight against Members of Congress from trading stocks. He led a bipartisan call on House leadership to hold a vote on legislation to ban stock trading by members of Congress. He joined 20 of his colleagues in calling for leaders of the House Committee on Administration to hold a markup on legislation that would prohibit Members of Congress from trading stocks. Pappas also fought to change the rules of the House to include a ban on trading stocks by members of Congress