President Donald Trump on Wednesday rebuked GOP Senator Josh Hawley on Truth Social, calling him a “second-tier Senator” after Hawley joined Democrats to pass a stock‑trading ban bill through a Senate committee. “Why would one ‘Republican’ Senator Josh Hawley from the Great State of Missouri, join with all of the Democrats, to block a Review,” Trump complained, while referring to a failed amendment targetting Nancy Pelosi’s stock trades, as reported by The Associated Press.
What the Bill Would Do
Hawley, who co‑authored the legislation — formerly termed the ‘PELOSI Act’ — with Sen. Gary Peters (D‑Mich.), reportedly said during the hearing on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs panel, “We have an opportunity here today to do something that the public has wanted to do for decades… And that is to ban members of Congress from profiting on information that frankly only members of Congress have on the buying and selling of stock.”
According to Politico, the bipartisan 8‑7 committee vote marked the proposal’s first formal advance, despite resistance from most Senate Republicans. The bill, the report said, would ban members of Congress, the president, vice president and their spouses from holding, buying or selling individual stocks, setting a 90‑day period after enactment before sales and requiring divestment by the start of the next term.
The current version shields Trump until after his presidency, the report said.
GOP Friction and Fallout
Trump’s criticism came amid growing tension with Republican colleagues after he recently clashed publicly with Sen. Chuck Grassley over Senate nomination procedures, per AP. Several GOP senators rebuffed the bill: Sen. Rick Scott proposed amendments to exclude the president and investigate Pelosi’s trades, with both propositions rejected.
Sen. Ron Johnson called the effort “legislative demagoguery,” saying, “We do have insider trading laws. We have financial disclosure. … So I don’t see the necessity of this,” as reported by The Associated Press.
Momentum for Reform
Support for banning congressional stock trading has been rising across party lines. Reports suggest Sen. Hawley has been working behind the scenes with bipartisan backers including Sen. Jeff Merkley and House Democrats to build support, reportedly saying, “members of both parties enjoy trading stock and enjoy the profits they get off of it… It is a distraction at best. It is a source of potential corruption at worst.”
Those supporting the bill say the legislation would restore public confidence in government and reduce conflicts of interest.
With the committee vote now complete, Hawley and Peters are reportedly pushing for full Senate consideration. A similar version passed committee last year but stalled on the floor. The bill’s fate in the full chamber remains uncertain, as GOP leadership gauges appetite for reforms amid continued friction within the party, a Newsweek report stated.
ALSO READ: 12 US Lawmakers Sue Trump Team Over Denied Access to ICE Detention Centers
