Senate Democrats block bill to limit lawmakers' stock trades

Washington — A Republican-led effort to approve a House-passed stock trading bill fell short in the Senate on Wednesday, with Democrats arguing the restrictions don't go far enough while pushing back against a voter ID provision that they argue would gut mail voting.In a 53 to 47 vote that fell along party lines, the measure failed to reach a 60-vote threshold needed to advance. The bill, known as the Stop Insider Trading Act, passed the House in July with the support of all Republicans and 13 Democrats. It would prohibit lawmakers, their spouses and dependent children, from purchasing publicly traded stocks, while requiring that they publicly disclose each intended sale at least a week in advance to limit their ability to profit off insider information.But Democrats argued that the bill doesn't go far enough, urging that an outright ban is needed for members of Congress — along with the president and members of his administration."The Republican toothless stock-trading bill is as ineffective as a screen door on a submarine," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said on the Senate floor ahead of the vote.

"And let's be clear: they don't even want it to pass. They designed the bill to fail."The New York Democrat railed against the legislation earlier this week, while noting it wouldn't apply to the executive branch. He