Cassidy says he and Pete Ricketts introduced bill to ban congressional stock trading

Sen. Bill Cassidy said he and Nebraska's Pete Ricketts have introduced legislation to ban members of Congress from trading individual stocks, calling the change necessary to restore public trust.

Cassidy cited a State of the Union reference and criticized members who trade individual stocks in companies that may appear before congressional subcommittees. "When individual congresswomen or congressmen are making extra money, people are very suspicious about that," he said, adding that the proposal would help "restore faith in Congress."

He pointed to delays in disclosure and the appearance of conflicts of interest as drivers of public suspicion. Cassidy did not outline the bill's text or legislative schedule in the interview and no vote or committee referral was reported; he framed the measure as part of an effort to increase transparency and accountability.

The remarks were presented as Cassidy's account of a bill introduction and the rationale for it; the interview did not include a legislative sponsor list or procedural steps beyond his statement that the bill exists.