Rep. Craig Reintroduces Legislation to Clean Up Washington, Prohibit Members from Profiting off Their Service

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Representative Angie Craig reintroduced the Halt Unchecked Member Benefits with Lobbying Elimination (HUMBLE) Act to clean up Washington and prevent Members of Congress from profiting off their service.

Rep. Betty McCollum (MN-4) also co-sponsored this bill.

The HUMBLE Act would ban Members of Congress from owning or trading individual stocks, prohibit the use of taxpayer funds for first-class airline tickets, prevent Members from serving on corporate boards while they are in Congress and eliminate access to Members-only perks for former Members.

Rep. Craig’s legislation also includes a new provision to eliminate automatic pay raises for Members of Congress.

“Members of Congress are elected to serve their constituents, not profit off of their positions, and Minnesotans want their elected officials to work for them, not special interests,” said Rep. Craig. “That's why I’m reintroducing my HUMBLE Act to clean up Washington and make sure our tax dollars are spent on lowering costs, improving critical infrastructure and maintaining the essential services we all rely on.”

Rep. Craig’s legislation, one of the most expansive government reform proposals on either side of the aisle, is endorsed by multiple good government groups.

“Washington isn’t responding to the needs of working families because too many members of Congress have forgotten that public office is a responsibility, not a pathway to personal enrichment,” said End Citizens United Action Fund President Tiffany Muller. “While families struggle to make ends meet, lawmakers are cashing in on their positions of power––trading stocks using insider information, lining up their next jobs, and pushing policies that benefit the wealthy donors who keep them in power. Congresswoman Craig’s HUMBLE Act is a long-overdue and necessary step to restore integrity and root out corruption in Congress. We’re grateful for her continued leadership in fighting for these commonsense reforms.”

“Members of Congress, as elected representatives to pursue the public interest, should live by the strictest ethics rules to prevent using public office for personal gain. Rep. Craig’s HUMBLE Act would impose many sorely-needed ethics rules on Congress, from slamming close revolving door abuses to cashing-in on the stock market using insider knowledge gleaned from their positions in Congress. The HUMBLE Act offers a great leap forward,” said Craig Holman, Ph.D., Public Citizen.

“American government is mired in a crisis of public confidence that threatens to undermine democracy. Congress must take bold action to stop this erosion of institutional legitimacy," said Noah Bookbinder, President of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington. "Rep. Craig's HUMBLE Act, which would, among many things, prohibit members of Congress from owning or trading stocks, would help fight back against the forces arrayed against democracy. CREW encourages Congress to expeditiously debate, discuss, and pass the HUMBLE Act."

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