Truthout is a vital news source and a living history of political struggle. If you think our work is valuable, support us with a donation of any size.

Amid pressure from both Democrats and members of his own party, Republican Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (Louisiana) insisted he was in favor of stricter rules regarding insider trading in Congress, but stopped short of expressing support for an outright ban on stock trading for lawmakers.

The statement from Johnson, reported on by Punchbowl News’s Jake Sherman, comes as Republican lawmakers have begun a discharge petition that would force a vote on the matter.

“We don’t want people cheating the system and abusing their office,” Johnson told reporters on Wednesday. “So there’s probably a way to do that that still allows for lawful conduct by members.”

But he claimed he opposed a ban because it might lead to fewer people wanting to become lawmakers.

“You don’t want another deterrence for good people running for office,”

© Truthout