Preventing Elected Leaders from Owning Securities and Investments (PELOSI) Act
This bill prohibits Members of Congress (or their spouses) from holding or trading certain investments (e.g., individual stocks and related financial instruments other than diversified investment funds or U.S. Treasury securities).
The prohibition does not apply to assets held in a qualified blind trust or to sales by a Member to come into compliance with the bill’s requirements. Specifically, the bill allows for sales by current Members during the 180 days following the bill’s enactment and for sales by future Members during the 180 days following the commencement of their service.
Any profit made in violation of the prohibition must be disgorged to the Treasury and may subject the Member to a civil fine. Additionally, a loss stemming from a prohibited holding or transaction may not be used as an income tax deduction.
Each Member must submit an annual certification of compliance, and the Government Accountability Office must audit Members’ compliance with the bill’s provisions.
On April 28, 2025, Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) dropped the Preventing Elected Leaders from Owning Securities and Investments (PELOSI) Act in the Senate. It bans Congress members and their spouses from holding or trading individual stocks, targeting insider trading. The bill’s name slaps at Nancy Pelosi, whose husband’s 2021 NVIDIA trades sparked outrage. You can still invest in diversified funds, ETFs, Treasury securities, or blind trusts. Break the rules? Profits go to the Treasury, and you might get fined. Lawmakers must file yearly compliance reports, and the Government Accountability Office audits them to keep things clean.
Hawley’s pushing hard, saying on Fox News, “Congress shouldn’t be day trading while screwing over voters.” It’s a hot topic because people are fed up—Congress’ approval is tanking at 20% (Gallup, 2024), and 60%+ of Americans want this ban (Rasmussen Reports, 2022). X is lit with posts cheering it as a middle finger to corrupt politicians. Even Hakeem Jeffries, House Minority Leader, backs similar rules, giving it bipartisan juice. The bill’s fresh, just reintroduced, so it’s in committee, no vote yet, but the PELOSI name keeps it trending, making Congress sweat.
Senator Josh Hawley Reintroduces Aptly-Named Pelosi Acthttps://t.co/GNqvWn3ipz
— RedState (@RedState) April 28, 2025
This matters because lawmakers get insider info—think secret briefings—that lets them game the market. Regular folks don’t get that edge, so the bill levels things out. Hawley’s betting on public anger to push it through, and X users are hyping it as a “swamp cleaner.” It’s early days, but the buzz is real, and the pressure’s on for transparency. If you want more on where it’s headed, I’ll dig in without killing your will to live.
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