this post was submitted on 04 Dec 2025
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House Speaker Mike Johnson said that members of Congress should be able to continue owning stocks.

He suggested that a stock trading ban could discourage people from running for office.

Earlier this year, Johnson expressed support for a ban, citing the "appearance of impropriety."

top 27 comments
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[–] santa@sh.itjust.works 98 points 17 hours ago* (last edited 17 hours ago)

Hard no. Govern for us and not for your purse. Represent the people — not yourself.

If it discourages people running, that’s great. We don’t need them.

[–] Typhoon@lemmy.ca 50 points 14 hours ago

He suggested that a stock trading ban could discourage people from running for office.

Good. The type of people who would be discouraged by this are exactly the people we want to keep out of power.

[–] Album@lemmy.ca 39 points 17 hours ago (1 children)
[–] My_IFAKs___gone@lemmy.world 15 points 15 hours ago

And an annual salary equal to the national median income.

[–] MagicShel@lemmy.zip 32 points 11 hours ago

If someone is discouraged from running for office because it's no longer a corrupt as fuck get rich scheme, good fucking riddance.

[–] Thoath@leminal.space 28 points 17 hours ago

Awweeeeee is someone not paid enough by their job 😭😭 fucking cry about it, suit

[–] Cruxifux@feddit.nl 26 points 16 hours ago

We SHOULD discourage people who want to run for office for the stock trading opportunities from running for office. FUCK those people.

[–] owenfromcanada@lemmy.ca 24 points 14 hours ago

If Carter was willing to give up his farm, you can muster up enough balls to stop trading stocks while you're in office.

And if it discourages people running for office, that seems like a feature, not a bug.

[–] billwashere@lemmy.world 22 points 16 hours ago

This fuckwad wouldn’t know a conflict of interest if it bit him in the ass or his son found it while searching through his father’s porn history.

[–] SabinStargem@lemmy.today 17 points 11 hours ago* (last edited 11 hours ago)

People in positions of power, should be barred from stocks, have fixed and modest incomes attached to the poverty line, and other such fiscal limitations. It has been proven time and again, that the rich will do anything to become richer, no matter who else it hurts.

And no, I am not going to believe people who say "this doesn't reward merit". That is a belief espoused by fools or grifters.

The average income should allow the ordinary person to own a house, be free of debt, and enjoy life. Dickheads like Mike Johnson are far beyond what allows a person to be happy.

[–] 0ops@piefed.zip 17 points 12 hours ago (1 children)

He suggested that a stock trading ban could discourage people from running for office.

People like you maybe. Hopefully.

[–] BrianTheeBiscuiteer@lemmy.world 1 points 3 hours ago

A kickass healthcare plan, a lunch allowance, an office allowance, a good salary, no minimum work hour requirements, and a kickass pension not enough for you Mike?

[–] 2piradians@lemmy.world 13 points 13 hours ago (2 children)

I wonder if Johnson is honest with himself about being a vile, corrupt piece of shit. Or if he kids himself that he's righteous and doing good things in Congress.

When all this is over for maga, he'll still carry the Trump-sized hand impression up his puppet ass for the rest of his days. History will paint all of them exactly as they are.

[–] Baphomet_The_Blasphemer@lemmy.world 6 points 12 hours ago (1 children)

In "Inglorious Basterds" Christopher Waltz plays Col. Hans Landa a villain for the record books. When asked about it, Christopher Waltz says he achieved this by not playing Landa as the evil character he is written as, "because no one believes themselves to be evil."

In some weird twisted way I believe these Maga believe themselves to be saving the soul of America. These fanatics are so far removed from reality they're literally delusion in their believes they're doing the right thing.

[–] III@lemmy.world 1 points 9 hours ago

But how would stock trading relate to "saving the soul of America"? A lot of their disgusting actions like gerrymandering or bending to knee to Trump could be painted as a means to stay in power and thus allowing them to be able to continue "saving" America. But personal stock trading?...

[–] tubthumper@lemmy.world 5 points 12 hours ago

Pretty convinced at this point that all these dickweeds are in some kinda shared psychosis, where in their world of entitlement they get to have it all and being all righteous about it because it's their God-given right goddamn it. Money, power, control over other humans because they never learned how to control themselves.

Buncha king wannabes.

Fuckers be living in fantasy land.

[–] just_another_person@lemmy.world 11 points 14 hours ago

You can still own stocks, you just can't TRADE on insider information, dipshit.

Keep in the indexes like every other schlub has to. That'll give you a bit more incentive to not sell out your fucking country and ensure a HEALTHY market instead of tilting it every which way in favor of whichever lobbyist is currently licking your taint.

[–] dylanmorgan@slrpnk.net 11 points 17 hours ago

Wrong again, doesn’t he get tired of being utterly and completely wrong?

[–] OhStopYellingAtMe@lemmy.world 8 points 15 hours ago

He suggested that a stock trading ban could discourage people from running for office.

That’s exactly the fucking point. We don’t want stock trading people running for office.

[–] BigMacHole@sopuli.xyz 7 points 14 hours ago

Good! The LAST thing we Want is for Politicians to take the Job to HELP people! That would be TERRIBLE! I WANT my Politicians to ONLY do whatever will Make them RICHEST!

[–] SketchySeaBeast@lemmy.ca 7 points 16 hours ago

Wasn't he also the guy that claimed he didn't have a bank account?

[–] mokus@lemmy.blahaj.zone 7 points 15 hours ago

Corrupt oligarch says what?

[–] caboose2006@lemmy.world 6 points 6 hours ago

Sure, in a blind trust.

[–] runiq@feddit.org 3 points 4 hours ago

You apparently don't even have a checking account, Mike. On these matters, I trust you as far as I can throw you. Which isn't very far, by the way; I'm not that fit.

[–] sturmblast@lemmy.world 1 points 3 hours ago (1 children)

How about we eliminate corruption eh?

[–] UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world 1 points 58 minutes ago

Principal–agent problem

If you've solved it, please let us know. Nobel in Economics is in your future.

[–] Rivalarrival@lemmy.today 1 points 1 hour ago

Lawmakers should be pilloried.