Ashley Moody pushes Senate to pass combined voter ID, stock trading ban bill

U.S. Sen. Ashley Moody is urging her colleagues to pass legislation that would both require voter identification across the U.S. and limit members of Congress from investing in publicly traded stocks when considering related legislation.

Moody took to the floor of the Senate to push the chamber to support the Stop Insider Trading Act. The House passed the measure last week by a 232-198 vote.

Moody stressed that the measure (H.R. 7008) already has bipartisan support.

“The American people expect results, and I didn’t come to the Senate to just listen as the vast majority of this country call for securing our elections and banning members from trading stocks,” Moody said.

“It’s time to act. I joined my colleagues on the floor (Monday) night to fight for America, ban congressional insider trading and pass voter ID. Both measures would restore trust in the people’s government — something our country desperately needs.”

The bill specifically limits stock trading by lawmakers and their relatives.

“Members of Congress and the spouses and dependent children of members of Congress may not purchase covered investments. Between seven and 14 days before a member or a covered spouse or dependent sells a covered investment, the relevant member must file public notice of the intent to sell,” the measure states.

She pointed to a University of Maryland poll that found majority support by Democrats and Republicans alike who want lawmakers to be limited on stock trading.

The voting element (H.R. 9368) that was combined with the measure would require photo identification and proof of citizenship for federal elections. It’s similar to the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, which Moody co-sponsored in the Senate.

Moody added that a Pew Research Center poll found a solid majority of Americans support voter identification requirements. The survey showed more than 80% of individuals agreeing with voter ID before casting ballots.