(FreedomBeacon.com)- During a video conference last week, Squad member Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez claimed that public pressure is forcing congressional leaders to pursue a ban on stock trading and thanked Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi for dropping her initial opposition to new legislation.
Ocasio-Cortez held a video news conference Thursday with Democrat Senators Jeff Merkley of Oregon and Sherrod Brown of Ohio as well as fellow Democrat House members Raja Krishnamoorthi of Illinois and Joe Neguse of Colorado to promote their legislation the Ban Conflicted Trading Act which would bar members of Congress and staff from trading in individual stocks or serving on a for-profit entity’s board.
Ocasio-Cortez claimed that people at home were paying attention to the issue making it “too difficult to ignore.”
While some may notice it, most people at home are far more concerned about inflation and rising consumer prices. Ocasio-Cortez has a very limited scope of knowledge when it comes to “people at home.” Her constituency consists of her fan base on social media.
She praised Pelosi’s change of heart on the issue, noting that Nancy’s flip-flop is proof that public pressure “can move public policy.”
Though, it is far more likely that Pelosi gave her imprimatur because the proposed legislation wouldn’t affect her in the least. The Ban Conflicted Trading Act does not bar the spouses of lawmakers from trading stocks. And Pelosi’s vast wealth isn’t due to her personal stock trades, but those of her husband Paul.
That’s one heck of a huge loophole.
And while Ocasio-Cortez personally supports a spousal ban as well, the legislation as written doesn’t include one. Though AOC said she hopes the legislation gets to the stage where amendments can be added, and a spousal ban can be included.
Pelosi, while bowing to the progressives in the Democrat caucus, is still trying to muddy the waters, urging the ban be extended beyond Congress to include members of the Supreme Court.
There are a few competing proposals on stock trades in both the House and the Senate. So the first thing that has to happen is getting lawmakers to coalesce around one specific bill.
