WASHINGTON, D. C. — Today’s introduction of the Restore Trust in Congress Act, which prohibits members of Congress, their spouses, and dependent children from owning or trading individual stocks, is a major step toward improving public trust in American democracy. This legislation includes the key policies that Democracy Defenders Action and our partners developed over years of advocacy, and we commend Reps. Seth Magaziner, Tim Burchett, Pramila Jayapal, Brian Fitzpatrick, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Chip Roy, Anna Paulina Luna, Raja Krishnamoorthi, Scott Perry, Dave Min, Zach Nunn, Joe Neguse, Michael Cloud, Mike Levin, Ralph Norman, and Josh Riley, for writing such a strong bill.

Democracy Defenders Action endorses the Restore Trust in Congress Act. Virginia Canter, anticorruption and ethics chief counsel and director at Democracy Defenders Action, released the following statement:

“Congress is embroiled in a crisis of public trust driven by routine reports of members from both parties owning or trading stocks in companies that they oversee and regulate. It’s time for Congress to mandate that all elected representatives act in the public’s interests–not in the interests of their stock portfolios.

“We call on all members to cosponsor and pass the Restore Trust in Congress Act, and we look forward to working with the bipartisan working group, and all of the many congressional ethics champions, as we move this crucial bill through the legislative process.”

The House bill introduction follows a bipartisan vote of similar legislation – the “HONEST Act” – championed by Sens. Josh Hawley, Gary Peters, Jeff Merkley, and Jon Ossoff, through the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on July 30.

###

Democracy Defenders Action brings together a nonpartisan team to work with national, state and local allies across the country committed to upholding the rule of law, fighting against autocracy and defending the Constitution.