MSNBC anchor Stephanie Ruhle ripped House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Monday night for slow-walking proposed legislation that would bar members of Congress from trading stocks while in office.
Ruhle criticized the speaker during a conversation with Democratic Rep. Abigail Spanberger of Virginia – one of several lawmakers who has submitted proposals that would ban Congressional stock trading.
“It’s legal to be sleazy, especially in this case for members of Congress. She wrote this legislation in 2020. Nancy Pelosi has had months and months and months to bring this thing to the floor,” Ruhle said during MSNBC’s “The 11th Hour.”
Ruhle pointed out at that Congress will go on recess Sept. 30, giving lawmakers a limited window to consider a stock-trading ban before the current session ends.
“You’ve got a little over two weeks. Is there any chance Speaker Pelosi brings this thing to a vote? You can’t blame Republicans on this one,” she added.
Spanberger and Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) have co-sponsored a bill that would ban lawmakers from trading stocks and require both them and their close family members to place assets in a blind trust while in office. The proposals are meant to address mounting concerns about the potential for insider trading involving sensitive information discussed in closed-door briefings.
Spanberger agreed with Ruhle’s point, noting her bill has garnered bipartisan support and “more than 67 co-sponsors, Democrats and Republicans, across the ideological spectrum.”
“What I can tell you is this: if the speaker wanted to bring it for a vote this week or this month, she certainly could. And so we`ve seen kind of stall tactics along the way,” Spanberger said.
The Post has reached out to Pelosi’s office for comment.
Mediaite was first to report on the segment.
Pelosi has faced mounting bipartisan pressure to move legislation forward – with critics pointing to her husband Paul Pelosi’s stock trades as a potential conflict of interest.
The speaker has also drawn scrutiny over her lukewarm response to calls for tightened laws. Pelosi initially signaled she was against a ban that singled out lawmakers, but later softened her stance and suggested she would support a bill if it drew backing from Congressional colleagues.
A recent analysis found that nearly 20% of Congressional lawmakers made stock trades related to industries they oversaw through committee assignments.