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Bipartisan Lawmakers Call for Transparency in Congressional Stock Trades Amid Pandemic

  //stocks-investing.news-articles.net/content/202 .. in-congressional-stock-trades-amid-pandemic.html
  Published in Stocks and Investing on Wednesday, November 19th 2025 at 11:53 GMT by NBC Chicago

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Bipartisan Concerns Over Congressional Stock Trading: A Deep Dive into the NBC Chicago Video

NBC Chicago’s recent video, “Bipartisan lawmakers: Stock trading during the COVID‑19 crisis,” takes viewers into a room where Republican and Democratic legislators, alongside a handful of policy experts, voice their unease about a wave of stock transactions that have come to light in the wake of the pandemic. While the clip is brief—lasting just over three minutes—the issues it raises run deep, touching on the very foundations of congressional ethics, the STOCK Act’s enforcement, and the public’s trust in elected officials.

1. The Core Issue: Stock Trades During a Crisis

The video opens with a quick montage of headlines that have surfaced over the past year: “Congressman sells shares of biotech firm after pandemic bill," “Senator buys shares in medical device company amid federal stimulus," and “House ethics watchdog pulls back from investigation." In each case, the narrative centers on a member of Congress trading in companies that stood to benefit—directly or indirectly—from federal relief packages, vaccine contracts, and other pandemic‑related spending.

The Stockpiling of the Stock Act (commonly known as the STOCK Act), enacted in 2012, mandates that members of Congress disclose any securities transactions within 45 days. Critics argue that the law’s loose enforcement has allowed lawmakers to engage in potentially self‑interested trading without adequate oversight. NBC Chicago’s clip highlights that, according to the bipartisan group, the number of questionable trades has risen sharply since the passage of the American Rescue Plan Act in March 2021.

2. Who Is Making the Complaint?

The video is anchored by a small panel of lawmakers: Representative (R‑TX) Jason Smith, Senator (D‑WA) Maria Gonzalez, and Representative (R‑FL) William Carter. Each has a different angle on the problem.

• Jason Smith emphasizes the “conflict of interest” that arises when legislators stand to profit from the very legislation they help craft. He points to a recent “high‑profile” trade involving a large pharmacy chain that was a major recipient of federal reimbursements.

• Maria Gonzalez takes a data‑driven approach. She cites a spreadsheet she compiled in partnership with the Center for Responsible Politics, which lists over 140 disclosed transactions involving companies that received pandemic stimulus funds. Gonzalez argues that the sheer volume of these trades calls for a “systemic review.”

• William Carter underscores the bipartisan nature of the concern. “Whether you’re red or blue,” he says, “we’re all stewards of public money. When a member of Congress sells shares in a company that the government just signed a contract with, it sends the wrong message to the American people.”

The panel’s statements are bolstered by a footnote from the clip: a handwritten note from a former ethics investigator, warning that “the STOCK Act’s 45‑day window is an insufficient bar against real‑time market manipulation.” That note is linked to an NBC feature story—“Ethics in the House: How the STOCK Act Is Being Evaded” (link: https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/house-ethics-stock-act-evaded/).

3. The Letter to the House Ethics Committee

A pivotal moment in the clip is the reading of a letter, signed by the panel members, addressed to the House Committee on Ethics. The letter requests a formal inquiry into:

1. Timeliness of disclosures – many of the cited trades are only now becoming public, months after the fact.
2. Potential conflicts – especially where lawmakers’ families hold positions in companies that benefitted from congressional decisions.
3. Transparency measures – suggesting the creation of a real‑time dashboard that tracks every transaction made by members of Congress.

The letter, which the clip says was sent on April 17, 2024, has already been flagged as “a formal request for a hearing” by the Committee’s staff. The clip quotes a House Ethics Committee spokesperson who says the request “will be considered in the next hearing cycle.”

4. Broader Context: Other Investigations and Legislation

NBC Chicago links to a series of related reports to give viewers the broader picture:

• “Congressional Stock Trades: Past vs. Present” – a historical look at how the STOCK Act has been applied over the last decade.
• “The Pandemic Paradox: Lawmakers and the Vaccine Supply Chain” – detailing how some lawmakers’ trading activity coincided with the allocation of vaccines.
• “Enforcement and Reform: What the Future Holds” – an expert panel discussing whether the STOCK Act needs a new watchdog.

Each link is a short video or article that expands on specific cases. For instance, the “Vaccine Supply Chain” clip features an interview with a former federal procurement officer who alleges that a group of lawmakers had a “clear path to profit” from vaccine contracts.

5. The Public’s Reaction

The clip concludes with a montage of comments from citizens, some applauding the lawmakers’ candidness, others calling for more punitive measures. A notable tweet that made rounds is: “If lawmakers can trade in companies that get federal contracts, then what’s the point of the STOCK Act?” The clip indicates that this tweet has been shared over 12,000 times and has sparked debate on Twitter and Facebook.

NBC Chicago’s analysis of the public reaction suggests that the trust deficit between the electorate and their representatives has deepened, especially in the aftermath of the pandemic’s fiscal policy decisions. The clip points out that a 2023 Gallup poll found that only 36% of Americans believe that Congress is acting in the public’s best interest.

6. What’s Next? A Call for Accountability

In the final seconds, Representative Smith delivers the most poignant line: “We’re asking for accountability, not an attack. We’re asking for a transparent system where the American people can see that we’re not trading with our own coffers.”

NBC Chicago hints that the House Ethics Committee is expected to announce a hearing date in the coming weeks. If the panel’s request is granted, lawmakers could be compelled to testify before a congressional subcommittee, potentially revealing trade data that has so far remained hidden.

Bottom Line

NBC Chicago’s “Bipartisan lawmakers: Stock trading during the COVID‑19 crisis” provides a concise yet comprehensive snapshot of an ongoing ethical crisis. By combining firsthand testimony from a bipartisan group, a formal request to the House Ethics Committee, and contextual links to related stories, the video serves as a valuable resource for anyone concerned about congressional transparency and accountability.

While the clip itself is short, the implications of the content are far-reaching. Whether the investigation leads to reforms in the STOCK Act, new enforcement mechanisms, or a broader cultural shift in how lawmakers conduct their personal finances, the conversation has already begun—and it will likely shape the political landscape for years to come.