Hopefully this isn’t controversial, but this writer would like to believe that most — if not all — Americans fully believe that politicians of all stripes, persuasions, and parties should not be allowed to enrich themselves through a stock market on which they have outsized influence.
It’s not just a dereliction of duty when government fat cats do this — it’s a full-on betrayal to the Americans who elected them.
Given that reality, when a group of House Democrats introduced a bill Thursday dubbed the “No Getting Rich in Congress Act,” you’ll have to excuse me for giving them a tiny droplet of credit.
Now, make no mistake, this bill is very much intended to denigrate President Donald Trump and his administration.
The Hill reported that the bill “would ban the president, vice president, members of Congress, candidates for federal office, and their spouses and dependents from buying and selling individual stocks.”
Apart from stocks, however, the bill makes specific mention of banning the buying and selling of “futures, commodities, and cryptocurrency, with strict reporting and enforcement mechanisms, including penalties for violations.”
The “cryptocurrency” mention is a pretty clear jab at Trump, whose family has embraced the concept.
The fact that the bill very obviously includes a reference to Trump shouldn’t be a surprise, given that it’s the brainchild of Democratic Reps. Haley Stevens of Michigan, Derek Tran of California, Eric Sorensen of Illinois, and Andrea Salinas of Oregon.
But let’s be honest. Trump made most of his fortune off the back of real estate. Whatever monetary gains he may be getting from cryptocurrency are likely to be a drop in the bucket compared to his previously accumulated wealth.
The reason I’m willing to give these Democrats a smidgen of credit for this move — even if it’s made with Trump in mind — is because it’ll actually hamstring some of the most suspiciously rich members of their own party.
There is perhaps no greater example of this than California lawmaker Nancy Pelosi (although Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts deserves an honorable mention).
The former House Speaker is notorious for enriching herself off apparent insider trading. No, most Americans don’t believe that Pelosi simply has a knack for buying and selling stocks at the perfect time to maximize return on investment.
In fact, there’s a case to be made that this group of House Democrats may have just unwittingly done Trump’s bidding.
In June 2025, Trump made headlines by directly calling out Pelosi and the fact that her net worth has soared since she entered politics.
“Nancy Pelosi became rich by having inside information, she made a fortune with her husband, and I think that’s disgraceful,” Trump said via social media.
“Nancy Pelosi should be investigated, because she has the highest return of anybody, practically, in the history of Wall Street, save a few,” Trump also said. “How did that happen?”
The president added, “It happened because she knows exactly what’s going to happen; what’s going to be announced. She buys stock, and then the stock goes up after the announcement is made.”
“She ought to be investigated,” Trump noted.
And while Pelosi is under no such investigation, this bill would ensure that others like her won’t be able to enjoy a 16,930 percent return on trading — which should be an unquestionably good thing.
Just not for the Democrats who are probably a little peeved at some of their House peers for pushing this bill.
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