Pelosi votes against congressional stock ban
On July 22, former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) voted against a proposed congressional stock trading ban in the U.S. House of Representatives. The bill passed with 232-198 vote count, but Pelosi opposed it despite having previously shifted her stance on limiting such activity. The legislation aims to prohibit members of Congress and their families from purchasing individual stocks while requiring public notice before selling any holdings. The current rules for congressional stock trading date back to the STOCK Act in 2012, which mandates disclosure rather than prohibition. Despite this transparency framework, enforcement has been lacking — no lawmakers have faced prosecution under the law despite known violations. This lack of accountability led to a data-driven market where investors track and trade based on reported transactions. The bill does not require existing stock positions held by members of Congress to be sold immediately; it only restricts new purchases. Pelosi's own portfolio, which includes significant investments in Intel (INTC) and Uber (UBER), has outperformed the S&P 500 over recent years.