Thread by @CREWcrew

Fixing ethical problems in Washington doesn't end with the White House. Congress needs an ethics overhaul. Here's how to do it:

1. Angry that Members of Congress and their spouses are getting rich from curiously timed stock trades? Let’s ban them from trading stocks.

2. If we really want to deal with the problem, let’s also ban Members of Congress and their senior staff from holding individual stocks.

3. Many Members of Congress are outrageously rich, but we don’t know much about their holdings beyond that. We need to require more in depth financial disclosures.

4. Congress exempts themselves from the Freedom of Information Act to keep Americans in the dark about their behavior. If taxpayers pay your salary, your records should be public.

5. We need to limit Members of Congress’ involvement in nonprofit fundraising and lobbying.

6. Wonder why the Senate pretty much never punishes senators for ethics violations? It’s because there’s no independent ethics office for the Senate that has subpoena power and can recommend real consequences. Time to make one.

7. If Congress is serious about ethics, it needs to add more staff to ethics committees.

8. The SEC needs the power to investigate insider trading among Members of Congress and staff who are privy to material nonpublic information, and the IRS should audit Members every year.

The American people shouldn’t have to wonder if their government officials are looking out for them or for their own profits. It’s time for Congress to lead by example.
citizensforethics.org/reports-invest…