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Two Democratic congressmen currently face high-profile charges involving corruption, accused of using their public offices for personal financial gain. Sadly, the cases of U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey and U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar of Texas — despite the scandalous details alleged in court documents — are not especially surprising.
That’s because these alleged misdeeds fit into a longstanding pattern of ethical failings in Congress. Between the actual crimes that face prosecution and the clear conflicts of interest that are technically legal but undoubtedly unethical, the financial behaviors of Congress have contributed to bottom-of-the-barrell approval ratings for the institution and widespread distrust that lawmakers are actually in Washington to do the people’s business.
So, it should come as little surprise that, though Americans can hardly agree on the time of day, they do overwhelmingly agree that ethics reforms such as a ban on congressional stock trading are badly needed. According to one 2023 poll, support for such a ban has eclipsed 85 percent. That’s not quite the 97 percent approval rating that ice cream enjoys, but it’s up there. We’re at the point where pretty much the only people in America who don’t support a congressional stock ban are the members of Congress themselves.
Thankfully, there continues to be momentum behind the bipartisan group of lawmakers who do recognize the need to reform. U.S. Rep. Jared Golden of Maine’s 2nd Congressional District has advocated for such a ban, and other sensible ethics reforms like a lifetime lobbying ban for former lawmakers. There are a host of steps that Congress could take that might dim a few of the financial prospects for its members, but improve the institution’s prospects when it comes to regaining the trust of the American people.
Golden outlined his thoughts behind his anti-corruption plan in a recent Bangor Daily News column.
“These reforms are based on four simple values: First, public service is an honorable calling that should be about the public good, not personal gain. Second, government service should not be a stepping stone, where experience serving the public is leveraged to build a career serving special interests as a lobbyist,” Golden wrote. “Third, government should regularly make room for new voices. And lastly, politics is best when it centers the people and the public good, not corporations, dark money groups or other deep-pocketed, self-interested political actors.”
There is certainly room to debate the details of various ethics reform proposals, but there should be little disagreement on the values that Golden has laid out. But too often this perspective has been an outlier in the halls of Congress rather than a default approach.
With more and more lawmakers seeming to catch up to the American people in supporting measures like a congressional stock ban, there is reason to hope that words can turn into actions. But everyone, from congressional leaders to rank-and-file members, need to stop letting past practice and self-interest stand in the way of change.
Stronger ethics laws might not be ideal for individual lawmakers, but they would certainly be better for the American people — and the integrity of the institution as a whole.
