Are former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s days of cashing in big on the stock market over?
They could be as long as she’s continuing to show up to work on Capitol Hill.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said during an interview with “Bloomberg Surveillance” last week that he will begin advocating for a ban on individual stock trading in Congress.
Bessent argued that arguing that major portfolio gains by lawmakers — including Pelosi, who has been under the microscope for her sizable gains — undermine voter confidence in the system.
Bessent’s declaration comes after President Donald Trump signaled in an interview this past spring that he would “absolutely” sign legislation to ban congressional stock trading if it reached his desk.
Bessent said he did not believe a “perfect bill” had been introduced yet, but did express a desire for a crackdown.
“I am going to start pushing for a single stock trading ban because the — it is the credibility of the House and the Senate that you look at some of these eye-popping returns, whether it’s Representative Pelosi, Senator Wyden, every hedge fund would be jealous of them,” Bessent said.
“And you know, the American people deserve better than this. People shouldn’t come to Washington to get rich,” Bessent continued. “They should come to serve the American people and it brings down trust in the system because, I can tell you, that if any private citizen traded this way, the SEC would be knocking on their door.”
Take a listen —
I am pushing for a ban on single-stock trading in Congress. The American people deserve better than politicians like @RonWyden and @SpeakerPelosi with hedge-fund level returns. Public service should be about serving the people, not getting rich. pic.twitter.com/yaXFGRfiMz
— Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent (@SecScottBessent) August 13, 2025
Bessent, a former hedge fund manager, was referring to both Pelosi and Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) — both of whom are estimated to be worth millions of dollars with sizable stock portfolios.
Pelosi’s well-known success in the stock market during her time in Congress has drawn intense scrutiny, but it may not be examined by the Securities and Exchange Commission or be a focus of any formal investigation any time soon, according to reports.
During a recent appearance on CNN, Pelosi responded to Trump accusing her of insider trading, rejecting the claim.
“That’s ridiculous,” Pelosi said.
“In fact, I very much support the — stop the trading of members of Congress, not that I think anybody’s doing anything wrong, if they are, they are prosecuted and they go to jail. But because of the confidence it instills in the American people, don’t worry about this. But I have no concern about the obvious investments that have been made over time, I’m not into it, my husband is, but it isn’t anything to do with anything insider.”
During his interview, Bessent pointed out that both Trump and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) have voiced support for a congressional stock trading ban.
An official bill has yet to reach President Trump’s desk.