Stock trading by members of Congress has become a potent attack line in the midterm campaigns, with both Republican and Democratic challengers targeting incumbent lawmakers. This practice, which allows politicians to trade stocks while privy to non-public information, has drawn widespread voter anger and is being leveraged to paint elected officials as unethical and out of touch.

Critics point to instances where lawmakers have made trades that appear to benefit from their legislative positions. For example, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has faced scrutiny, though she has defended her actions. The issue gained significant traction following reports of substantial stock trades by lawmakers during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Legislation aimed at banning or restricting congressional stock trading has been proposed but has stalled. Senator Jon Ossoff has been a vocal proponent of such reforms, introducing legislation to prohibit members of Congress and their spouses from trading individual stocks. Despite bipartisan support for reform in principle, the exact form and passage of such measures remain uncertain, allowing challengers to continue using the issue against incumbents.

The average member of Congress has traded $1.4 million in stocks annually, according to one analysis, highlighting the scale of the practice and the potential for conflicts of interest.