Rep. Angie Craig Reintroduces Legislation Targeting Corruption in Washington

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Representative Angie Craig introduced the Halt Unchecked Member Benefits with Lobbying Elimination (HUMBLE) Act, which would permanently ban Members of Congress from serving as lobbyists and require them to sell individual stocks upon being sworn in. The HUMBLE Act also restricts unnecessary perks for Members, including a ban on taxpayer funded first-class airline accommodations. Representative Craig previously introduced this critical reform legislation in the 116^th Congress.

"For far too long, working Minnesotans have been forced to watch as career politicians treated the United States Capitol like a revolving door of interest, using their positions for career advancement and personal profit. It's no wonder that the American people have lost faith in their elected leaders – who are all too often more interested in their own bottom lines than fighting for their constituents," said Rep. Craig. "In Congress, I'm fighting to give power back to hardworking families by making sure their voices are heard and their best interests are promoted by their representatives in Washington. This long overdue reform bill represents the first step in finally cleaning up the nation's Capital and restoring Americans' faith in Washington."

Following a year that was plagued with allegations of insider trading and other forms of corruption in Congress, the HUMBLE Act would impose a full ban on individual stock ownership for Members of the House of Representatives as well as:

• Impose a lifetime ban on lobbying for Members of Congress.
• Prohibit the use of funds provided for the official travel expenses of Members for first-class airline accommodations.
• Eliminate allowing former Members from access to the Hall of the House, athletic facilities, Member's Dining Room, parking spaces, materials from the House document room, and collections in the House Legislative Resource Center.

The HUMBLE Act is one of several steps Representative Craig has taken to address corruption and impropriety in Washington. Shortly after being sworn in during the longest shutdown in government history in the 116^th Congress, Craig introduced legislation to help prevent future shutdowns from occurring by withholding pay from Members of Congress and certain Executive Branch officials and forcing lawmakers to remain in Washington until a budget deal is reached. In 2019, Representative Craig introduced an amendment to the annual spending bill blocking House Democrats from enacting a pay raise for Members of Congress. Craig also introduced and enacted into law the Payment Integrity Information Act, which helps to address improper and wasteful payments that totaled more than $150 million in 2018 alone. And earlier this month, Representative Craig cosponsored H.R. 1, the For the People Act, a comprehensive electoral reform bill that would protect the right to vote, ensure the integrity of our elections, hold elected officials accountable and end the era of big, dark, special money in our politics.