OPINION — After years of hearing politicians pay lip service to fighting corruption only to sell out to the highest bidder the minute they reach Washington, I can’t tell you what a breath of fresh air it is to see Congressman Abe Hamadeh of Arizona’s 8th Congressional District deliver on that promise.
Instead of focusing on his own stock portfolio, he chose to invest in the people of his district. He stood up to colleagues more interested in personal gain and voted for H.R. 7008, the Stop Insider Trading Act.
The U.S. House passed the bill on July 22. It bans members of Congress, their spouses and their dependent children from buying individual stocks while in office, requires advance public notice before any sales and imposes meaningful penalties for violations.
