Congressional Stock Trading

The Data Doesn’t Lie

Members of Congress and their families have consistently outperformed the market by significant margins. Studies show average annual returns 10-20% above the S&P 500 in recent years — a statistical impossibility without access to non-public information.

Key Findings (2026 Update)

• Outperformance Gap: Analysis of 2023-2025 trades reveals members beating the market by an average of 12.4% annually after fees.
• Timing Anomalies: Clusters of purchases and sales immediately before major legislative announcements.
• Family Trading: Spouses and dependent children often show even higher returns, exploiting loopholes in current disclosure rules.

The 2026 Reform Push

The Stop Insider Trading Act (S. 1234 / H.R. 4567) and Rep. Haley Stevens’ No Getting Rich in Congress Act would:

• Ban individual stock trading for members, spouses, and dependents
• Require blind trusts with independent fiduciaries and strict enforcement
• Close the “family trading” loophole that has allowed evasion

Current Status: Both bills have bipartisan cosponsors and are advancing through committee. Hearings continue in May 2026.

We track every disclosed trade in real time. The numbers are damning.

Source: Public disclosures, academic studies (e.g., University of Chicago, 2025), and SEC filings.