Reporter To Chip Roy: Why Does Stock Trading Ban Not Include The President?

During a press briefing on Thursday, Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) was asked about why a proposed ban on stock trading does not include the President.

Transcript

00:00I can't remember, hands up earlier, sorry.

00:03Going back to one of the earlier questions, can you expand on why this bill does not address the President or the Executive,

00:09why you decide to keep it just on Congress?

00:11Well, what I'll say is this, many of us, I think in both parties, support including the President and Vice President.

00:16We are working to see if we can get a critical mass of support to include them or not.

00:21If there is, that can always be introduced as an amendment or as a separate bill.

00:25But in the meantime, we are putting in this bill that has broad consensus to get the process moving,

00:31to keep the pressure on while that conversation continues.

00:34I certainly support it. I think many people here do.

00:37We're working to see if we have that critical mass.

00:39To the Republicans here, though, has the President advocated against this bill being expanded?

00:44Or what do you stand on that?

00:46Personally, I've got no indication of that whatsoever.

00:48All I've gotten is support for this and what we're trying to focus on.

00:51And I think rightly is, can we not look in the mirror as the members of Congress

00:56and go ahead and decide how we should operate?

00:59Start there.

01:00But it's really easy for us to go point.

01:02And I would say this last year, a year ago with President Biden, President Trump doesn't matter.

01:06This is not a political issue.

01:08But we've got to work through executive branch application and getting the votes for that.

01:12I would love to have that debate.

01:14I would love in regular order to have this come before the committee, come before the admin committee,

01:18and then offer amendments and have that debate and bring it forward and offer an amendment

01:21that applies equally to all three branches.

01:23That would be a fantastic debate.

01:25And I would likely support going in that direction.

01:28But I think we need to focus right now on one very clear message.

01:32Congress, those of us here who are responsible for managing our own affairs,

01:35we shouldn't be trading stocks while we're voting on these important issues.

01:39I think it's that simple.