https://www.latintimes.com/mike-johnson-argues-congress-needs-stock-trading-support-their-families-due-frozen-salaries-583098

House Speaker Mike Johnson defended stock trading as a necessary income boost that allows members of Congress to "take care of their family."

Johnson noted that Congressional salaries have been frozen since 2009 while speaking to press on Wednesday. "When you adjust for inflation...Congress today is making 31% less than they made in that year. It goes down every year," he said.

The annual salary for a member of congress is $174,000.

"If you stay on this trajectory, you're going to have less qualified people who are willing to make the extreme sacrifice to run for Congress," Johnson warned. "At least let them, like, engage in some stock trading so that they can continue to take care of their family."

The practice of Congress members engaging in stock trading has come under a renewed scrutiny following Trump's announcement of sweeping tariffs placed on trade partners around the globe. Many of the tariffs have since been renegotiated, with the market reacting to news of administrative policy changes.

Democratic Sen. Adam Schiff (D-MA) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) are among prominent politicians calling for an investigation into insider trading after NASDAQ call volume showed large spikes on April 9, just minutes before Trump announced a pause on tariffs for non-retaliating countries.

Congress members are required to file annual financial disclosures by May 15. "We're about to learn a few things," Ocasio-Cortez wrote on social media last month.

Capitol Trades, which tracks congressional trading, has already revealed some startling numbers. Freshman Rep. Rob Bresnahan (R-PA) — who introduced a bill to ban congressional stock trading — has made over $5.6 million with 490 trades since he was elected last November, according to the site.

>>1406186 (OP)
>If you stay on this trajectory, you're going to have less qualified people
It's hard to think of who could be less qualified than people like MTG and Boebert, who seemingly got elected by shooting guns in commercials and imitating Sarah Palin.

>Cover for Pelosi and Dems when called out
>Make a big deal about Johnson
But yes, people with insider information who can literally change policy to ensure stock gains shouldn't be allowed to trade stock.
Lobbying should also be illegal.

>>1406186 (OP)
Incredible Rs go on record to defend their countless corruptions.

>>1406194
>>Cover for Pelosi and Dems when called out
No, we call the shit out of them too.

>>1406194
>first shill reply is whining about people being mean to republicunts
lmao

>>1406201
But they're so persecuted by the evil woke twitter libs who secretly run the DNC, Anon!

>>1406186 (OP)
RAISE YOUR DAMN SALARY THEN
Seriously, you can solve so much shit just by raising your fucking wage. Oh, but that might help the federal workforce, since their pay limit is somewhat linked to yours.

>>1406221
Why the fuck would the federal workforce need to take care of their family? That sounds like commie bullshit.

>>1406186 (OP)
AOC lives off her congressional salary. Just stop having the avocado toast and starbucks, Mike, and start doing a little budgeting!

>>1406230
b-b-but how can a congresscritter possibly keep two households when they're making over twice the median wage?
Double the money doesn't mean they can cover double the costs. Just because two separate households could split that money and thrive doesn't mean anything.
Study it out

>>1406234
they get so many free lunches it isn't funny

>>1406186 (OP)
If congress can't afford to feed their families making $174k a year, then clearly the minimum wage should rise higher than that in order for Americans to survive and have big and healthy families.

>>1406304
No, it's called insider trading.
>invest in stocks of big pharma
>declare bill to help fund big pharma project
>???
>profit

>>1406186 (OP)
Alright, but all stock trading done by congresspeople needs to be made public within 24 hours of the trades

>>1406201
I'm fairly certain we were complaining about this when your were distracting everyone by being absolutely, irrationally opposed to a border barrier like every other country has.

>>1406406
nah, Trump and Republicunts can't ban stock trading, its how they make all their money.
R's own the government and have a congressional stock ban bill ready.
They can pass it any day they want

>>1406415
>R's own the government
That's because Democrats are insanely disconnect and increasingly unpopular.
> and have a congressional stock ban bill ready.
>They can pass it any day they want
They won't. Neither will Democrats though. The odds of getting a stock trade ban and outlawing lobbying (bribery) are 0% in the current setup.
Why can't leftists riot about shit like that? Why's it always because criminals died of drug overdoses and committing crimes? Come on jerks.

>>1406436
this new character you're trying to develop is going to end up written into a corner, i can already tell

>>1406438
>new character
WTF are you talking about?

>>1406441
don't worry, i'll let you know when you play yourself

>>1406436
Pretty sure SCOTUS would strike down any bans on bribery. They've already cut what bribery laws we did have down to the point of uselessness and said presidents can't be prosecuted for official acts which renders them immune to bribery statutes. There's really no reason why judges or congresspersons would be vulnerable to prosecution for official acts if the president isn't.

>>1406194
>if your (strawman) Jews can do it my (unironic lol) Jews can! (whataboutism)

Shut the fuck up and go back to r/thedonald, dip shit

Oh no the base income + how many hundreds of thousands they get in benefits is not enough to take care of a family