GOP Rep. Anna Paulina Luna is forcing a showdown with House leadership by filing a discharge petition to bypass Speaker Johnson and demand a vote on banning congressional stock trading—exposing the swamp creatures who’ve been enriching themselves while serving the people.
Story Highlights
- Rep. Luna files discharge petition to force vote on congressional stock trading ban despite leadership resistance
- Bipartisan Restore Trust in Congress Act has 100+ supporters but faces opposition from members profiting from insider knowledge
- Current STOCK Act has never led to prosecutions despite lawmakers consistently outperforming market averages
- Bill would ban Congress members, spouses, and children from owning or trading individual stocks
Luna Takes Bold Stand Against Congressional Corruption
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna followed through on her promise on December 2nd, filing a discharge petition to circumvent House Speaker Mike Johnson and force a floor vote on the Restore Trust in Congress Act.
The Florida Republican’s procedural maneuver requires 218 signatures to bypass leadership and bring the stock trading ban directly to the House floor.
Luna originally threatened this action if no movement occurred by September’s end, but the 43-day government shutdown beginning October 1st delayed her efforts as Johnson suspended all legislative activities.
It is done. I just filed a discharge petition to force a vote to ban stock trading in Congress.
Both Republican @SpeakerJohnson and @RepJeffries have acknowledged that insider trading in Congress is a serious problem and must be stopped, and have signaled support to stop the… pic.twitter.com/FFMx8WSVDd
— Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (@RepLuna) December 2, 2025
Bipartisan Support Meets Establishment Resistance
The compromise legislation, introduced by Texas Republican Chip Roy in September, has attracted over 100 cosponsors spanning progressives, conservatives, and moderates from both parties.
The bill would prohibit members of Congress, their spouses, and dependent children from owning or trading individual stocks entirely.
However, Democratic Rep. Seth Magaziner of Rhode Island revealed the opposition reality: “There are members in both parties who do not want this to happen, who are in the ear of leadership, who are trying to stop this from happening.”
Current Law Proves Toothless Against Insider Trading
The existing 13-year-old STOCK Act prohibits using nonpublic information for financial benefit and requires disclosure of trades exceeding $1,000 within 45 days.
Yet Manhattan Institute’s James Copland revealed a shocking truth: no member has ever been prosecuted under current law, and no public records show officials paying fines for disclosure violations.
This enforcement failure occurs despite Dan Savickas from Taxpayers Protection Alliance testifying that lawmakers “on average, members of both political parties outperformed the market,” with performance boosting when controlling more government branches.
Patriots Demand End to Taxpayer-Funded Enrichment Scheme
Tennessee Republican Tim Burchett captured conservative frustration perfectly: “This body has been enriching itself on the taxpayers’ dime for too dadgum long, and it’s got to stop. We’re in committee meetings. We hear things before y’all do. We can make those connections.”
Luna dismissed November’s hearing as “for show” while expressing concern that watered-down legislation “with no teeth” might replace the comprehensive ban. This insider trading advantage fundamentally violates principles of equal justice and limited government that conservatives champion.
