Walz tries to force vote on STOCK Act

1st District Rep. Tim Walz is trying force a vote on his bill to ban insider trading among members of Congress.

Walz and bill co-sponsor Louise Slaughter, D-N.Y., announced today they would file a discharge petition to bring the Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge (STOCK) Act to the House floor.

"With 271 cosponsors, including 92 Republicans, it is past time to bring the STOCK Act to the House floor for a clean, up or down vote," Walz said in a statement. "No more delays. No more partisan games. No more brinkmanship. Let's pass the STOCK Act in the House to make it clear that Members of Congress must play by the same rules as everyone else."

This move comes as the bill has stalled in House committees. The House Financial Services Committee was scheduled to vote on the measure in December until House Majority Leader Eric Cantor reportedly ordered the committee chairman to delay the vote because he had not run it by GOP leadership first.

In order for the STOCK Act to be brought to the floor, the discharge petition needs 218 signatures. The big question is whether Republicans who are co-sponsoring the bill will be willing to sign the petition.