WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥� President endorsed a ban on congressional stock trading in an interview that鈥檚 being released this week, belatedly weighing in on an issue that has been debated on Capitol Hill for years.
鈥淣obody in the Congress should be able to make money in the stock market while they鈥檙e in the Congress,鈥� Biden said.
The interview was conducted by Faiz Shakir, a political adviser for Sen. , and published by A More Perfect Union, a pro-labor advocacy and journalism organization. The Associated Press reviewed a video of the interview before its release.
It鈥檚 unclear what impact Biden鈥檚 statement could have, coming only a month before his term ends.
The Democratic president spoke to Shakir about his economic legacy, which includes supporting unions, investing in clean energy projects and signing infrastructure. But Shakir also asked about congressional stock trading, which has been a catalyst for populist anger at Washington.
For example, when the coronavirus pandemic was approaching, some lawmakers bought and after being briefed on the virus.
A bipartisan proposal to ban trading by members of Congress and their families , but it has not received a vote.
Although lawmakers are required to disclose stock transactions exceeding $1,000, they鈥檙e routinely late in filing notices and sometimes don鈥檛 file them at all.
Shakir said he admired Biden for having not 鈥済one in early on Google, and Boeing, and Microsoft, and Nvidia, and, you know, Amazon鈥� while he was a U.S. senator from Delaware, a position he held for 36 years.
Biden said he lived on his senator salary instead of playing the stock market.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 know how you look your constituents in the eye and know, because the job they gave you, gave you an inside track to make more money," he said. "I think we should be changing the law.鈥�
Biden had previously declined to take a position on congressional stock trading. When served as White House press secretary two years ago, she said Biden would 鈥渓et members of leadership in Congress and members of Congress determine what the rules should be."
Chris Megerian, The Associated Press
