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00:00The American people expect their elected representatives to put the public interest first, not our private financial interest.
00:12And yet time and again we hear about members of Congress in both political parties trading stocks like that's their day job
00:24rather than representing the constituents who should be our highest priority.
00:31Thank you Mr. Chairman and thank you to the chair and ranking member for convening us today.
00:36I call up my amendment Ossoff 3.
00:41And folks we have a problem which is that members of Congress are playing the stock market while sitting in office.
00:51Buying and selling shares of publicly traded stock while making decisions how to regulate those companies.
01:03While privy to confidential corporate information, while privy to confidential national security information.
01:11And it is so corrosive to public trust in this institution.
01:16The American people expect their elected representatives to put the public interest first.
01:28Not our private financial interest.
01:31And yet time and again we hear about members of Congress in both political parties trading stocks like that's their day job
01:43rather than representing the constituents who should be our highest priority.
01:50This is not controversial among the American public.
01:56Overwhelming majorities of Democrats, Independents, Republicans want to ban stock trading by members of Congress.
02:05And we've made a lot of progress in the Senate in the Senate in the last couple years building a bipartisan coalition to ban it.
02:14In fact, legislation that Senator Merkley and I have worked on with bipartisan colleagues in the Homeland Security Committee
02:21passed out of that committee for the first time with bipartisan support to ban stock trading by members of Congress.
02:29That bill still hasn't been brought to the floor and we all know that there are private conversations with members going to folks in leadership saying they don't want it to come to the floor.
02:42We need to get this done.
02:45We have the opportunity right now in this committee to send a powerful message to the American people that we take seriously
02:53their deep concern and their justified concern about ethics in the United States Congress.
03:03My amendment is very simple.
03:06In a year's time, stock trading by senators is prohibited under Senate rules.
03:13The text of this, the assets that are covered, are all drawn from the painstakingly negotiated bipartisan legislation
03:21but it's been agreed by the Homeland Security Committee.
03:25This will force us, by a date certain, to finish the job of advancing that legislation.
03:34This will give the American people confidence that we understand and we accept our job is not to enrich ourselves.
03:42Our job is to advance the flourishing and prosperity and health of our constituents.
03:46So, I understand that there may be some parliamentary effort to avoid a vote on this.
03:54I know that there are senators who don't want to take a vote on this.
03:58But before we do that, Mr. Chairman, why don't we see this as an opportunity?
04:03What a great day this would be.
04:06If, instead of continuing to evade this question, stock trading by senators,
04:12this committee, with its reputation for excellence, came together across the aisle
04:20and passed this amendment, ban stock trading by United States senators, do the right thing.
04:28I urge a yes vote.
04:29Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
04:31Committee, that amendments must be related to the matter under consideration,
04:37which is consistent with Committee Rule 4.
04:40Your amendment is not related to member pay during a government shutdown.
04:49As a result, the amendment falls.
04:53Mr. Chairman, I appeal the ruling of the chair.
04:57Is there a motion to table the appeal?
05:01Mr. Chairman, since Senator Ossoff has appealed the ruling of the chair,
05:08I would offer an amendment that, or I would move that we table his amendment.
05:18Is the motion to table the amendment or to table the appeal?
05:22Table the amendment.
05:24Table the appeal.
05:27Well, an aye vote supports the ruling of the chair.
05:32Correct.
05:32All those opposed, say nay.
05:37Nay.
05:38Nay.
05:38Nay.
05:39Nay.
05:39Nay.
05:40Any opinion of the chair?
05:41The ayes have it.
05:44Mr. Chairman.
05:44The ruling of the chair.
05:46I ask for a recorded vote.
05:51I second there.
05:52Oh, okay.
05:54Yeah, I'm sorry.
05:55As for a roll call vote on the motion to table the appeal, is there a sufficient second?
06:00Yes, I second.
06:03It appears that a third of the members present demand a roll call vote.
06:07Will the clerk call the roll?
06:10Senator Cruz.
06:12Aye.
06:13Senator Capito.
06:14Aye.
06:15Senator Wicker.
06:16Aye.
06:17Senator Fisher.
06:18Aye.
06:19Senator Hyde-Smith.
06:20Aye.
06:20Senator Haggerty.
06:22Aye.
06:23Senator Britt.
06:24Aye.
06:25Senator Bozeman.
06:26Aye.
06:27Senator Padilla.
06:28No.
06:29Senator Schumer.
06:31No, by proxy.
06:32Senator Warner.
06:33No, by proxy.
06:35Senator Klobuchar.
06:36No.
06:37Senator Merkley.
06:38No.
06:39Senator Ossoff.
06:40No.
06:41Senator Bennett.
06:42No.
06:43Senator Welch.
06:44Aye.
06:45Chairman McConnell.
06:47Aye.
06:47Aye.
06:47The ayes are nine.
06:55The noes are eight.
06:59Is there further debate on the...
07:01On this motion to table, Senator Ossoff's appeal, the ayes are nine and the nays are eight.
07:10The motion to table is agreed to.
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