Senator Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) made an impassioned case this week for banning members of Congress from trading individual stocks, arguing that both major parties are losing the public’s trust by allowing lawmakers to profit from insider access.

Speaking during debate on a bipartisan bill aimed at tightening financial rules for elected officials, Slotkin emphasized that the American public sees both Democrats and Republicans as enriching themselves through their positions in government. Citing a report that found 53 lawmakers made over 2,200 stock trades worth as much as $140 million in the days surrounding President Trump’s tariff announcement, Slotkin argued the optics are indefensible.

She called for urgent reform that would bar sitting members from trading stocks and require them to place their assets in blind trusts—emphasizing that many lawmakers have already taken that step voluntarily. Importantly, the bill would not require immediate divestment; it allows officials to comply at the beginning of their next term, giving incoming and returning officeholders time to restructure their portfolios.

Slotkin said she supported this incremental approach because waiting for a perfect bill had become a political excuse for inaction. “We have a chance to actually send a message,” she said, urging her colleagues not to hide behind concerns about implementation. If they opposed the bill, she said, they should be honest and admit they simply don’t want to be held financially accountable.

The bill also includes provisions for the president, vice president, and members of the judiciary. Slotkin made it clear she would have preferred an even broader scope—including senior staff and additional executive officials—but said she believed the legislation still represented meaningful progress.

She also highlighted the inclusion of digital assets like cryptocurrencies in the bill’s language, calling it a vital step in curbing future abuses. Slotkin noted that Donald Trump has made hundreds of millions since leaving office, including through crypto-related ventures, underscoring the need for rules that cover both traditional and digital investments.

Her message was pointed: members of Congress should not be trading stocks while receiving classified briefings or setting economic policy. The public’s trust, she argued, depends on the perception of fairness, and right now, that trust is eroding.