Congress Delays Stock Trading Ban Vote

0:00It's April 4th. Welcome to Vancouver News today, powered by AI. A bill to limit stock trading by members of Congress was supposed to hit the House floor for a vote in the first quarter, but that deadline passed. Without action, as both chambers head into recess, GOP leaders had backed the measure, which would stop lawmakers, their spouses, and kids from buying new individual stocks while requiring notice, before selling existing ones. Republicans have pushed similar ideas before. Donald Trump called for the Stop Insider Trading Act in his February State of the Union, Echoing Baroque. Obama's 2012 plea that led to the Us Talk Act, that earlier law requires disclosures within 45 days, but critics call it weak since trades can still happen to make classified info or big. Policy moves, like pandemic news or tariffs, fueling distrust. Frustration is mounting from backers, like representatives, Chip Roy, and Anna Paulina Luna, who say leadership knows the heat, but keeps delaying.

1:02Some lawmakers resist full bans, citing lost income, and a tougher bipartisan proposal last year fizzled amid election politics. Democrats now push their own version, expanding bans to the President and Vice President, while a Senate bill waits without a markup. With time ticking in this Congress, pressure builds for a vote to force everyone on record.