Bill · H.R. 358· House(119-HR-358)
No Corruption in Government Act
- Introduced
- 1/13/2025
- Last activity
- 1/13/2025 — Referred to the Committee on House Administration, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, the Judiciary, and Oversight and Government Reform, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- Sponsored by
- Zachary Nunn
- Cosponsors
- - 0 - 2
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The "No Corruption in Government Act" aims to change several rules regarding how Members of Congress operate. It seeks to prohibit Members and their spouses from trading certain financial instruments like securities or commodities. The bill also extends the amount of time former Members must wait before they can engage in lobbying activities. Additionally, it repeals the automatic pay adjustment system for Members of Congress. These changes are intended to address various issues related to government service and compensation.
Yes
Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see?+7
The bill increases transparency by requiring Members to publish compliance certifications on a public website.
Would union members be better off under this?+2
The bill reduces the influence of former officials through extended lobbying bans.
Does this reduce what the federal government spends?+1
The bill reduces future government spending by repealing the automatic pay adjustment for Members of Congress.
The opposite
Would high-income households be better off under this?-2
The bill negatively impacts high-income Members of Congress by restricting their ability to trade securities and increasing their post-employment lobbying restrictions.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Restrictions on Financial Trading: Members of Congress and their spouses would be prohibited from holding, purchasing, or selling covered financial instruments, such as certain securities or commodities, during their service (Sec. 13152(a)). This could prevent potential conflicts of interest regarding personal investments.
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Increased Transparency through Certification: Members must submit a written certification of compliance regarding financial restrictions to a supervising ethics office every seven days after the start of a new session (Sec. 13153(a)(1)). These certifications would be published on a public website, allowing the public to see that officials are following the rules.
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Regular Compliance Oversight: The supervising ethics office is required to conduct an audit of Member compliance at least every two years (Sec. 13153(a)(2)). This provides a mechanism to ensure the new financial rules are being followed.
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Extended Post-Employment Bans: The time that former Senators must wait before lobbying is increased to 6 years, and the ban for former House members is set at 3 years (Sec. 202(a)). This longer waiting period could limit the immediate influence of former officials on current legislative processes.
Potential Negative Impacts for People
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Financial Penalties and Restrictions: Members and their spouses who violate the new trading rules must give any profits from those transactions back to the Treasury (Sec. 13152(c)(1)). Additionally, they would be unable to deduct losses from their income tax (Sec. 13152(c)(2)), and Members could face civil fines (Sec. 13152(c)(3)).
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Compliance Burdens: Members are required to submit written certifications of compliance at the start of every session of Congress (Sec. 13153(a)(1)). This adds a recurring administrative task to their responsibilities.
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Elimination of Pay Adjustments: The bill repeals the automatic adjustment in pay for Members of Congress (Sec. 301). This means their pay would no longer automatically adjust as previously provided under the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Governance And Ideology
- Improves Government Transparency+7
- Economy And Finance
- Reduces Government Spending+1
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Good For Union Workers+2Good For High Income Households-2
- 1/22/2025
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 1/13/2025
- Referred to the Committee on House Administration, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, the Judiciary, and Oversight and Government Reform, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- Introduced in House
2 bills Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
Donald DavisDemocrat · North Carolina
Marie PerezDemocrat · Washington