ETHICS needed in Washington

It is time to bring some ETHICS to Washington. ETHICS is a piece of legislation before Congress called the Ending Trading and Holdings in Congressional Stocks Act. It would prohibit members of Congress from using their positions of power for their personal financial gain. Members of Congress or their spouses and dependent children would not be allowed to trade in individual stocks, commodities or futures. That seems reasonable, because we have heard too many stories about powerful members of Congress  lining their pockets because of inside information. They know before just about anyone else if a legislative hearing or investigation may impact a stock’s price. They may be about to pass legislation that affects the price of a stock they own. They are profiting from that information, and this legislation would crack down on that. An investigation by the New York Times last year discovered a fifth of all lawmakers trading in companies that are directly related to their work on a congressional committee. This legislation has the support of many good government groups, and the American people. It is time to bring some ETHICS back to Washington.