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@ISIDEWITHQuestionsDomestic PolicyStarted 3yrs agoActive 3wks ago

Should members of Congress be allowed to trade stocks while serving in office?

Congress passed the Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge Act (STOCK Act) in 2012, following more than 10 years of allegations of insider trading by members of Congress and staff. Initially introduced in 2006, Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-NY) and Rep. Brian Baird (D-WA) drafted the STOCK Act in response to insider trading allegations against Tony Rudy, a top aide to the onetime House Majority Leader Rep. Tom DeLay, as well as an insider trading scandal faced by Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist in 2005. Critics argue that The STOCK Act has failed to achieve its goal of penalizing members for…  

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670 Replies

 @9TVSQYTLibertarian from Kansas  answered…8mos8MO

No, a civil service retirement program and investment option like the TSP should be enforced for all government employees until they are done with their political career.

 @9MBMV6CLibertarian from Virginia  answered…1yr1Y

No; their investments should be held in a blind trust, more must be done to prevent insider trading by their friends and family.

 @9K65DV6Libertarian  from Missouri  answered…1yr1Y

They should be limited to SP 500 or to trades that cant take effect for 6 months for individual stocks at market value

 @84ZWD6LLibertarian  from Pennsylvania  answered…1yr1Y

No, and the ban should extend to family members. All holdings must be sold before swearing into office

 @9D787HCLibertarian from Idaho  answered…2yrs2Y

No, they should be allowed to trade in broad sector or muti-sector funds, but not individual stocks. This limitation should apply to immediate family as well.

 @9S7P3V4Libertarian from California  answered…9mos9MO

No, and the penalties should be not only more heavily enforced, but should also be proportional to the congress member's income and/or the value of the stock. They also shouldn't be able to get away with avoiding taxes by converting their money into assets and such. This goes for all three branches and those with substantial wealth (the 1%) as well.

  @John-ThomasLibertarian  from Pennsylvania  answered…12mos12MO

Yes, but there should be a complete separation of economy and state, so that government decisions cannot affect the value of stock.

 @7YXQRQCLibertarian  from Nevada  answered…12mos12MO

No, their investments should be held in a blind trust because they can't be trusted to enforce their own rules and regulations.

 @9FCB642Libertarian from New Jersey  answered…2yrs2Y

Yes, but Ideally there is no government or congress

 @977QM3LLibertarian from Colorado  answered…3yrs3Y

No, and it should be considered insider trading if they do trade stocks in office.

 @96PJKHGLibertarian from Ohio  answered…3yrs3Y

No, nobody in politics should be allowed to trade stocks while in politics, or their families

 @93XL57RLibertarian from Oklahoma  answered…3yrs3Y

No, this is called Insider Trading. The likes of Nancy Pelosi should be in jail for practicing Insider Trading.

 @KodaGwoodLibertarian from Texas  answered…3yrs3Y

Yes, but majority of their stock portfolio should be required to be in S, G, or C (TSP) fund, as to make sure they have Americas best interest in mind, rather than their own pockets.

 @93C34MYLibertarian from North Carolina  answered…3yrs3Y

If the government is completely disengaged from the economy, and there is no possibility of cronyism, then they should be able to trade whatever they want.

 @939Y4DFLibertarianfrom Virgin Islands  answered…3yrs3Y

Their stock trades are none of our business

 @83VCCTMLibertarian from Washington  answered…3yrs3Y

Yes, but under strict guidance and can be fined heavily for any insider trading.

 @925BT6PLibertarian from Nebraska  answered…3yrs3Y

Nancy Pelosi is a dirty crook with terrible plastic surgery.

 @8YQF954Libertarian from Georgia  answered…3yrs3Y

No, this is opens the door to insider trading

 @8YK8L6LLibertarian from Arizona  answered…3yrs3Y

Members of congress must trade economic stocks with over sight by the people

 @84ZWD6LLibertarian from Pennsylvania  answered…2yrs2Y

No, and the ban should extend to family members. Investments made before serving in office should be sold before taking office

 @84ZWD6LLibertarian from Pennsylvania  answered…2yrs2Y

No, and the ban should extend to family members (Not including privately managed accounts). Investments made before serving in office should be held in a blind trust managed by an independent person or group

 @84ZWD6LLibertarian from Pennsylvania  answered…2yrs2Y

No, and the ban should extend to family members (Not including privately managed accounts like 401k's and 529's). Investments made before serving in office should be held in a blind trust managed by an independent person or group

 @84ZWD6LLibertarian from Pennsylvania  answered…2yrs2Y

No, and the ban should extend to family members. Investments made before serving in office should be held in a blind trust managed by an independent person or group

 @98GP3F9Libertarian from Georgia  answered…2yrs2Y

Don’t have a position

 @97Z6Q5RLibertarian from New Hampshire  answered…2yrs2Y

not relevant

 @97LDT2LLibertarian from Nebraska  answered…3yrs3Y

Let them do what they want as long as it doesn’t affect the government or the people

 @97H645QLibertarian from Maryland  answered…3yrs3Y

Yes, but with their holdings in a blind trust, so they don’t know which investments are in their portfolio.

 @maadiman1170Libertarianfrom Texas  answered…3yrs3Y

Yes, but all trading should be pre-cleared by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to ensure no questionable transactions are taking place.

 @maadiman1170Libertarianfrom Texas  answered…2yrs2Y

Yes, but all trading should be pre-cleared by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to ensure no questionable transactions are taking place, and all trades should be made public prior to their execution so that everyone else can decide if they want to take advantage of this information.

 @8ZJH5GHLibertarian from Ohio  answered…3yrs3Y

Yes but their portfolio should be published

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 @ISIDEWITH submitted…6mos6MO

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