A bipartisan group of senators reached a deal Wednesday on legislation to ban stock trading by members of Congress, setting the bill up for action in the Senate later this month.

    • Montagge@lemmy.zip
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      5 months ago

      From the article:

      The deal would immediately prohibit members of Congress from buying stocks and selling stocks 90 days after the bill is signed into law.

      It would also ban member spouses and dependent children from trading stocks starting in March 2027. Penalties for violating the law would either be the monthly salary of a lawmaker or 10% of the value of each asset they buy or sell.

      • webhead@lemmy.world
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        5 months ago

        AFTER BEING SIGNED INTO LAW seems like a huge loophole to me. They can just trade while they’re talking about it or right after it passes but hasn’t been signed, etc etc.

        • jacksilver@lemmy.world
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          5 months ago

          That’s how laws work. You can’t generally make something illegal retroactively, otherwise you could change the law to persecute anyone you want.

          How would you want them to approach it?

          • webhead@lemmy.world
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            5 months ago

            I dunno maybe they should be subject to more stringent rules like people at banks and such? If you can just trade your stocks right before you pass a law, what’s the point of the new rule? That’s part of why they’re under fire in the first place isn’t it? They have insider information. Saying you can’t trade after the fact seems like it’s too late to me. Maybe I didn’t explain that well idk.

            • jacksilver@lemmy.world
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              5 months ago

              I understand your point, but that’s what this law would theoritcally accomplish. It would limit representatives/senators from being able to trade stocks (a higher standard than an average citizen). While they can buy/sell stocks before the law, that’s just the current state of affairs.

              Regarding the timing of trades, etc. The value of their insider knowledge is really only beneficial over long periods of time. Yes they could buy/sell stock in the interim, but preventing it long term would be an actual win.