On the recordFebruary 2, 2012
the amendment Senator Merkley and I have proposed would require all Senators and their senior staff to sell individual stocks that create conflicts or to place their investments in blind trusts. You can still invest in broad-based mutual funds. You can keep your ownership interest in your family farm or small business. If you are setting up a blind trust, you can instruct the trustee to hold on to your stock in your family company. Current Senate ethics rules require committee staff making more than $25,000 a year to ``divest [themselves] of any substantial holdings which may be directly affected by the actions of the committee for which [they work].'' All Senator Merkley and I are saying is, Members of the Senate should hold ourselves to the same standard we already require of our committee staff and executive branch employees. As Senator Merkley said, baseball players cannot bet on their games. We should not be able to hold stock in individual companies and then vote on issues that affect our holdings. I ask for a ``yes'' vote. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Maine.
