TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Azya Thornton on Nov 24, 2025

U.S. Rep. Tim Burchett, Republican of Knoxville, is pushing for a vote on his long-running bill to ban members of Congress and their families from trading stocks, telling Knox News that if House Speaker Mike Johnson does not act by Nov. 28, a bipartisan group will file a discharge petition to force the issue. Burchett, who has made the effort a priority since taking office in 2018, compared the practice to insider trading and pointed to reports of lawmakers conducting extensive stock transactions in industries they oversee. The Restore Trust in Congress Act has 87 cosponsors and would prohibit lawmakers, spouses, dependent children and trustees from buying or selling a range of financial assets. Burchett said broad public support exists for the ban but acknowledged challenges in building momentum in Congress.