Rashida Tlaib introduces legislation to stop politicians from profiting from war

Washington DC - Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib has introduced a bill in the House of Representatives which aims to prevent members of Congress from getting rich off defense stock trading and ownership.

Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib introduced the Stop Profiting from War Act in the House of Representatives on February 6, 2024.
Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib introduced the Stop Profiting from War Act in the House of Representatives on February 6, 2024.  © SAUL LOEB / AFP

Tlaib announced the Stop Profiting from War Act on Tuesday with the support of fellow Squad member Cori Bush.

The legislation seeks to impose limits on defense stock trading and ownership for members of Congress, their spouses, and dependent children, as well as ban them from having financial interests in any company that has entered into a contract or agreement with the US Department of Defense.

As things currently stand, members of Congress are allowed to own and trade stocks even when they have access to insider knowledge through their role as public officials. Those same officials are then afforded enormous responsibility to dictate US government spending, including the annual military budget.

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"My colleagues continue to funnel billions of American tax dollars to the very same defense contractors that many of them are invested in and taking campaign donations from," Tlaib said in a statement.

"It is shameful that some of my colleagues are profiting financially when they vote to support wars and weapons manufacturing," the Michigan Democrat continued. "Members of Congress should not be able to use their positions of power to get rich from defense contractors while voting to pass more funding to bomb innocent civilians."

"The American people deserve better. We are sick of politicians profiting from endless wars."

Rashida Tlaib pushes to protect Palestinian lives

The new legislation comes as Americans around the country voice their outrage over the US' continued funding of Israel's assault on Gaza, which has claimed the lives of at least 27,585 people and forcibly displaced nearly 2 million more.

As the only Palestinian-American member of Congress, Tlaib has been vocal in support of a permanent ceasefire in Gaza as well as the conditioning of US military aid on Israel's respect for Palestinian human rights.

Tlaib's latest bill has already secured endorsements from prominent civil society groups, including Common Defense, the Council on American-Islamic Relations, Jewish Voice for Peace Action, Public Citizen, and more.

Cover photo: SAUL LOEB / AFP

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