<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="11911042" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="missouri" source="Orion">Missouri</keyword> was the first state to ban abortions after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. </li><li>Democratic US <keyword id="11896866" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="senate" source="Orion">Senate</keyword> candidate <keyword id="12801879" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="lucas-kunce" source="Orion">Lucas Kunce</keyword> said <keyword id="11896865" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="democrats" source="Orion">Democrats</keyword> must abolish the <keyword id="12087729" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="filibuster" source="Orion">filibuster</keyword>.</li></ul>Lucas Kunce, who is running for the Democratic nomination for US Senate in Missouri, is frustrated with his national party's response to Supreme Court striking down a national right to <keyword id="11901426" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="abortion" source="Orion">abortion</keyword>. Since the decision landed, the Biden administration and Democratic campaign arms have stressed to voters that the best way for them to channel their anger against the Supreme Court's decision would be to go to the ballot box in November to elect more Democrats. But should the party manage to make further inroads in November, a new Congress wouldn't come into power until January 2023, and a consensus on the issue could take even longer. "I don't like the framing of this being an election issue, because even if Democrats win everything it's going to be a whole year of people without power having forced births," Kunce, a 13-year Marine veteran and antitrust advocate, told Insider in an interview. The topic is particularly salient in Missouri, which was <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/missouri-first-state-ban-abortion-scotus-overturned-roe-v-wade-2022-6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">was the first state</a> to ban abortions through its "<a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/missouris-last-abortion-clinic-finds-itself-in-center-of-roe-fallout">trigger law</a>" just minutes after the Supreme Court <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/supreme-court-abortion-decision-final-ruling-scotus-roe-v-wade-2022-6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">overturned Roe v. Wade</a>. The new law doesn't have exceptions for rape or incest. Even before the Supreme Court's decision, Missouri <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/missouris-last-abortion-clinic-finds-itself-in-center-of-roe-fallout" target="_blank" rel="noopener">had just one</a> abortion clinic. To obtain an abortion, patients <a href="https://dph.illinois.gov/data-statistics/vital-statistics/abortion-statistics.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">travel</a> to neighboring Illinois, a state that has almost no limits on the procedure. In his interview with Insider, Kunce questioned the motives of the "Democratic political class" who'd focused abortion messaging on the November midterms. "I can't tell, not being a DC insider, are they sitting on this to use as an election issue? They talk about it 24/7 as an election issue," Kunce said. "So to me that makes me wonder."Kunce, 39, will be vying against <a href="https://ballotpedia.org/Lucas_Kunce" target="_blank" rel="noopener">10 other</a> Democrats in the state's August 2 primary for the seat being vacated by retiring GOP Sen. Roy Blunt, and says he's running to "fundamentally change who has power in this country." At more than $4.3 million during the first cycle to date, he <a href="https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/marine-veteran-lucas-kunce-raises-most-funds-among-senate-hopefuls-in-missouri/article_2c5627dd-085b-5a9b-acea-7084c608e67b.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">has outraised</a> all other candidates in the race despite refusing donations from super PACs and corporate entities.Kunce said he was encouraged by <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/biden-sign-executive-order-protecting-abortion-access-2022-7" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Biden's executive order</a> last week and supports undoing the filibuster — the 60-vote threshold required to pass most legislation. He otherwise supports a filibuster carve-out specifically for abortion rights, which is what President Joe Biden has called for. Enshrining abortion rights is <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/manchin-and-sinema-oppose-ending-filibuster-to-codify-roe-v-wade-2022-6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">unlikely</a> in the current Congress, however, because Democratic Sens. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona oppose filibuster changes for any reason. The Biden administration must "use whatever leverage they can" to pressure Manchin and Sinema to reverse their positions, Kunce said, or should pressure Republican Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine, both of whom support abortion rights. Kunce supports the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/roe-v-wade-the-bill-democrats-are-pushing-to-protect-abortion-rights-2022-5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Women's Health Protection Act</a>, a bill that would legalize abortion in all states and undo most restrictions.Republicans have called the bill "extreme" — neither Murkowski, Manchin, nor Collins support it — but Kunce said at the very least Congress should work to codify Roe, which would allow abortion up until fetal viability. The <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/roe-v-wade-the-bill-democrats-are-pushing-to-protect-abortion-rights-2022-5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Women's Health Protection Act</a> goes further than Roe by allowing undefined "health" exemptions to post-viability abortions. Kunce also wants Congress to undo the Hyde Amendment, a funding rider that prevents the federal government from paying for most abortions, particularly for low-income patients. He hasn't said where he stands on expanding the number of justices on the Supreme Court. <h2>Missouri race heats up</h2>Democrats are hopeful that they can make inroads in Missouri given that whoever wins the primary <a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-campaigns-eric-greitens-legislature-st-louis-705610dbf221e5367e796fca708c27da" target="_blank" rel="noopener">appears likely</a> to face off in November against scandal-plagued Republican <keyword id="12410922" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="eric-greitens" source="Orion">Eric Greitens</keyword>.Greitens is the former governor of Missouri who resigned amid allegations that he sexually abused and blackmailed a woman with whom he was having an affair. His ex-wife also <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ex-wife-of-gop-senate-candidate-eric-greitens-alleges-physical-abuse-report-2022-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">has accused</a> him of abuse and bullying. Greitens has denied wrongdoing. Though Missouri is a solidly red state that twice went for former President Donald Trump, it also has a populist streak. Voters have ushered in progressive priorities through ballot initiatives, from expanding Medicaid to raising the minimum wage. "I probably hear more about legalizing cannabis in this state than I hear about Trump," Kunce said.The former president hasn't yet endorsed a Republican in the race, and cannabis legalization for adults 21 and older is on the ballot this November. There is also precedent for Missourians shunning restrictive abortion laws. In 2012, the late former US Rep. Todd Akin lost a US Senate seat to then-incumbent Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill after he argued an abortion ban didn't need a rape exception, saying victims of "<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/todd-akin-legitimate-rape-2012-8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">legitimate rape</a>" couldn't get pregnant.Then, in 2019, the state's health director admitted to monitoring the menstrual periods of Planned Parenthood patients. In March, a proposal <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/03/29/missouri-house-blocks-effort-to-limit-access-to-out-of-state-abortions/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">failed</a> in the legislature that would have allowed citizens to sue anyone who helps a patients get an abortion outside Missouri. "There is a level of extremities that Missourians are not interested in," Kunce said. "They don't like the idea of Big Brother government being in their business all the time." Kunce said that if Republicans win the House in November while Democrats hold onto the Senate, then he could still put his political muscle behind a ballot measure to guarantee abortion access. During his interview, he drew parallels between the US and what he witnessed during his deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan when he was a Marine. "It's really sad just to think that they told us we were fighting for freedom over there and freedom was under attack here," he said. "I have seen what those Big Brother governments look like. I have seen what it looks like when one class of citizens has wealth and power and an entirely different set of rights, opportunity, and access than everybody else."

Missouri Senate candidate Lucas Kunce said Democrats must deliver on abortion rights instead of continuing to treat it only as a campaign issue

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="14246474" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="john-wood" source="Orion">John Wood</keyword>, a senior investigative counsel for the <keyword id="11931775" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="january-6-committee" source="Orion">January 6 committee</keyword>, is running for Senate.</li><li>A registered Republican, he's running as an independent in order to stop <keyword id="12410922" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="eric-greitens" source="Orion">Eric Greitens</keyword> from becoming a senator.</li></ul>John Wood, a former US Attorney in <keyword id="11911042" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="missouri" source="Orion">Missouri</keyword> who's fresh off of a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/jack-danforth-john-wood-missouri-senate-alternative-eric-greitens-2022-6">stint as a senior investigative counsel on the January 6 committee</a>, is launching an independent campaign for US Senate in Missouri.As he announced his campaign, he <a href="https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/john-wood-former-jan-6-investigator-launches-independent-bid-for-u-s-senate-in-missouri/article_75b2e344-73c3-5c12-bd8a-3b21477bc65f.html">told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch</a> that he believes former Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens is likely to win the Republican nomination, and that voters deserved an alternative.Greitens, whose tenure as governor <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/eric-greitens-missouri-governor-resigns-over-sexual-misconduct-scandal-2018-5">ended in a "revenge porn" scandal</a> in 2018, recently released an ad that depicted him hunting "Republicans in Name Only" (RINOs)" in a violent, military-style raid."This RINO-hunting business has become a national story and I think that that advertisement is an embarrassment to our state, and it's dangerous," Wood told the Post-Dispatch. "I think Eric Greitens is a danger to women, he's a danger to children, and he's a danger to our democracy."Recent polling has shown Greitens <a href="https://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2022/senate/mo/missouri_senate_republican_primary-7573.html">at the top of the Republican field</a>. In March, his ex-wife <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ex-wife-of-gop-senate-candidate-eric-greitens-alleges-physical-abuse-report-2022-3">accused him of committing domestic abuse</a>.Most recently, Wood made an appearance at the <keyword id="11897870" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="january-6" source="Orion">January 6</keyword> committee's third public hearing, where he questioned one of his own former bosses, Judge Michael Luttig.<blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—NowThis (@nowthisnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1537493441793380352">June 16, 2022</a></blockquote>A former law clerk for Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, Wood has held a variety of positions within the government, as well as outside groups. Prior to his service on the January 6 committee, he was general counsel for the US Chamber of Commerce.Wood was ultimately <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/jack-danforth-john-wood-missouri-senate-alternative-eric-greitens-2022-6">encouraged to run</a> by an outside group and former Republican Sen. <keyword id="14324105" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="john-danforth" source="Orion">John Danforth</keyword> of Missouri, who Wood also once worked for."I'm excited to see that John's name has been surfaced as a potential independent candidate for Senate here in Missouri," Danforth <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/jack-danforth-john-wood-missouri-senate-alternative-eric-greitens-2022-6">told Insider last week</a>, adding that Wood "would be a great candidate and U.S. Senator."Danforth, who served as US senator from Missouri from 1976 to 1995, also served as something of a mentor figure to Republican Sen. Josh Hawley, who Wood would be serving with if he were to be elected.But following the January 6 attack on the Capitol, Danforth turned on Hawley."Supporting Josh and trying so hard to get him elected to the Senate was the worst mistake I ever made in my life," Danforth <a href="https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/columns/tony-messenger/messenger-danforth-calls-his-support-of-hawley-the-worst-mistake-of-his-life/article_0f8288fc-4b22-5fe7-8cb9-d29161a7cf81.html">told the Post-Dispatch</a> following the attack. "Yesterday was the physical culmination of the long attempt (by Hawley and others) to foment a lack of public confidence in our democratic system."Wood describes himself as a "lifelong Republican" and told the Post-Dispatch that "probably both parties' primaries are becoming a race to the bottom to see who can be the most divisive and the most extreme," name-checking Democratic candidate <keyword id="12801879" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="lucas-kunce" source="Orion">Lucas Kunce</keyword> for <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/magazine/2022/06/20/he-man-politics/">describing himself</a> as a "hand grenade.""Bring. It. On," said Kunce in a statement on Wednesday, calling Wood a "Republican in sheep's clothing" and "anti-choice Clarence Thomas clerk."

January 6 committee investigator John Wood is launching an independent Senate campaign in Missouri in an effort to stop Eric Greitens

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Democratic Missouri Senate candidate <keyword id="12801879" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="lucas-kunce" source="Orion">Lucas Kunce</keyword> wants to ban members of congress from trading stocks.</li><li>"The rules are harsher for you, me, and Martha Stewart... than they are for the Speaker of the House," he says.</li></ul>When Lucas Kunce heard <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/we-are-free-market-economy-pelosi-rejects-stock-ban-congress-2021-12">House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's rejection</a> of a proposed ban on members of Congress and their spouses from trading stocks, he was incensed."That person is supposed to represent all of us. They're supposed to take care of us. They're supposed to legislate for America," Kunce told Insider in a telephone interview on Tuesday. "They're supposed to make things better for the everyday American, and instead, they're legislating for their stock portfolio."In a <a href="https://twitter.com/LucasKunceMO/status/1472241189902499844?s=20">recent appearance on MSNBC</a>, he compared Pelosi's response to Insider's question about the issue — "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VOowntvw02c">we have a free-market economy</a>," she said last week — to the infamous "let them eat cake" remark <a href="https://www.britannica.com/story/did-marie-antoinette-really-say-let-them-eat-cake">misattributed to French monarch Marie Antoinette</a> on the eve of the French Revolution.<blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—Lucas Kunce (@LucasKunceMO) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1472241189902499844">December 18, 2021</a></blockquote>Kunce, like the Speaker of the House, is a Democrat. But unlike Pelosi, the former Marine officer and Pentagon official prefers to call himself a "populist" and hopes to win a Senate election next year in Missouri, a state where former President Donald Trump <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/missouri-presidential-election-2020-live-vote-counts-results-2020">prevailed by over 15 points in 2020</a>."Populism is empowering normal everyday people against elites and trying to change a system that's rigged," he said. "Just because some fakers have come in and stolen the label, divided everyday people, and used them to get power for themselves — rather than power for all of us — doesn't mean that I'm going to give up on that idea."Given the political landscape of Missouri, Kunce is not especially fond of discussing party labels. "It's not a left-right campaign, it's a top-bottom campaign," he says.But he does point to the recent statewide Democratic campaigns of former Secretary of State Jason Kander in 2016 and State Auditor Nicole Galloway in 2018 as evidence that he can win. "People in Missouri, they just want you to show them something real," said Kunce.Fresh off a <a href="https://www.economicliberties.us/lucas-kunce/">stint at the American Economic Liberties Project</a> — an antitrust nonprofit that seeks to "challenge monopolies' dominance over markets and society" — Kunce is running a Senate campaign centered on addressing monopoly power, lowering the costs of prescription drugs, getting <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bN_Okwa5DA">tough on China</a>, and passing a "Marshall Plan for the Midwest" designed to mirror nation-building efforts in the post-war landscapes of Iraq, Afghanistan, and late-1940s Europe.He also <a href="https://lucaskunce.com/issues/">touts a number of ethics reforms</a>, including the abolition of corporate PACs, a ban on family members of senators and representatives from working as lobbyists, and of course, forbidding members of Congress and their spouses from owning stocks."This is insider trading," he said. "They have access to information that other people just don't have. I mean, this is why everybody hates Congress, right?"<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/financial-conflicts-congress-members-rated-2021-12">Insider's "Conflicted Congress" investigation</a> found that 52 members of Congress (<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/stock-act-congress-democrats-violation-law-2021-12">and counting</a>) and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/congress-staff-violated-stock-act-conflicts-of-interest-possible-2021-12">nearly 200 senior congressional staffers</a> have violated the Stop Trading On Congressional Knowledge Act (STOCK) Act, a bill that banned insider training and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/congress-stock-act-violations-penalties-consequences-2021-12">requires disclosures of stock transactions within 45 days</a>.<h2>'No one believes anything anymore'</h2><div type="image" title="House Speaker Nancy&#xa0;Pelosi&#xa0;defended congressional stock-trading when asked by Insider last week. “We are a free-market economy. They should be able to participate in that.”" height="1000" width="2000" msid="88462212" hostid="261"></div>Kunce says that banning congressional <keyword id="11984873" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="stock-trading" source="Orion">stock trading</keyword> "goes right to the heart of" his campaign message. "They make decisions for their campaign funders, for their stock portfolios, and they will literally strip our communities from parts in order to do it," he says, referencing political contributions and stock investments in the same breath. Kunce also argued that congressmembers' stock portfolios represented a key point of leverage for companies over Congress."You've got people <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/congress-members-are-trading-defense-stocks-while-shaping-military-policy-2021-12">connected with defense contractors</a> and defense lobbyists, funding campaigns and portfolios," said Kunce, who has also <a href="https://www.theamericanconservative.com/articles/americas-monopoly-crisis-hits-the-military/">written about the perils of monopoly power in the national security space</a>. "One of the ways they control the markets is by controlling the politicians."He also says that the current disclosure-focused approach to this ethics issue is insufficient, referencing <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/congress-stock-act-violations-penalties-consequences-2021-12">an Insider article</a> that called the disclosure-focused <keyword id="12169748" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="stock-act" source="Orion">STOCK Act</keyword> "toothless."Members of Congress, Kunce says, should be jailed if they're found to be in violation of the act."If you had information like that, and you did what these members of Congress are doing, you would end up in jail," he said. "The rules are harsher for you, me, and Martha Stewart — that's the one that everybody knows, right? — than they are for the Speaker of the House.""If there's no teeth to it, then people can just ignore it," he declares. "This isn't like a complicated thing, right?"And while <a href="https://twitter.com/RepSpanberger/status/1471530748716978187?s=20">some members of Congress</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/LucasKunceMO/status/1471582180916834308?s=20">candidates alike</a> have proposed requiring the use of blind trusts — an <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/blind-trust-explainer-theresa-may-philp-may-paradise-papers-2017-11">account where independent financial experts manage assets instead of the owner</a> — as a solution to the problem, Kunce says they're merely a "political ploy.""Okay, so if I have a privately held coal company, when that goes into blind trust, I'm going to forget that I have that?" he asked, making a clear reference to a <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/12/13/manchin-blind-trust-enersystems-stock-climate-change/">recent Washington Post investigation of Sen. Joe Manchin's blind trust</a>. "I'm just gonna develop amnesia?"He ultimately condemned blind trusts as a "dog and pony show solution just like the STOCK Act" while expressing an openness to other proposals floated by House Democrats. "Yeah, that seems fine," Kunce said when asked about members investing in <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-is-an-index-fund">index funds</a>.Beyond individual conflicts of interests arising from member's stock holdings, Kunce says the practice is simply bad for American institutions."There's this very deep lack of trust in our systems, in our institutions, because they've had such deep institutional and systematic dishonesty for so long," he said. "No one believes anything anymore."<h2>A tough path to the Senate</h2><div type="image" title="Former Governor Eric Greitens of Missouri near the State Capitol in Jefferson City, MO on May 17, 2018." height="1000" width="2000" msid="88462214" hostid="261"></div>It is at this point that Kunce turns his fire upon Missouri Republicans, including one of his potential opponents.A lack of trust in institutions "lets people like Josh Hawley or <keyword id="12410922" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="eric-greitens" source="Orion">Eric Greitens</keyword> come in and just say whatever they want, peddle whatever bullshit they've got," he said, referring to the state's junior senior and former governor, who's now a top contender for the Republican nomination for US Senate.Polling released by National Journal and conducted this month by a pro-Greitens super PAC found that the former governor <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1yuZ2CopnIPSSJKgcGIjzfEtMozo5Ff3w/view?mkt_tok=NTU2LVlFRS05NjkAAAGBhzRa4OrF-JhlZzN5YvXXN8otGryVG4NDqzP-f2zuf8_AZ1lz5Aw_7esUuFcfyQCWH-asqww32B629I0oP3NxK7RF3zZ5sXuwNlCa8MwTJQpS">bests his GOP primary foes in favorability rating among Republican voters.</a>The same poll also found that Greitens leads Kunce by a 34-25 margin, though with 40% of voters remaining undecided.Kunce has <a href="https://twitter.com/LucasKunceMO/status/1469398291955818503?s=20">explicitly compared Greitens to former Missouri Rep. Todd Akin</a>, the 2012 Republican Senate nominee whose <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/20/us/politics/todd-akin-provokes-ire-with-legitimate-rape-comment.html">"legitimate rape" comments sunk his campaign</a> against former Sen. Claire McCaskill. And Greitens, in addition to the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/eric-greitens-missouri-governor-resigns-over-sexual-misconduct-scandal-2018-5">infamous "revenge porn" scandal</a> that ended his governorship, has been hit with <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/missouri-eric-greitens-accused-illegally-funneling-money-senate-campaign-fec-2021-10">2 separate ethics complaints</a> in recent months accusing him of <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/eric-greitens-2nd-campaign-finance-complaint-140k-in-fines-2021-11">illegally spending $100,000 on his Senate campaign</a>."I mean, I'm not surprised," Kunce says of the ethics complaints. He added that some Greitens' backers "see his lack of morals and his unethical behavior as a feature rather than as a bug."Reached for comment, Greitens campaign manager Dylan Johnson said the former governor was "the only America First candidate in this race" and that Kunce "should stop worrying about other campaigns and focus on getting his own off of life support."But before Kunce can take on Greitens — whose potential general election candidacy is reportedly <a href="https://www.marketwatch.com/story/gop-frets-over-senate-candidacy-of-disgraced-former-missouri-governor-greitens-aligned-with-trump-and-leading-in-some-polls-01640302530">feared by top Republicans</a> and <a href="https://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/politics-government/article254072703.html">former state party chairs</a> alike — he must prevail over his several primary opponents, including former state Sen. Scott Sifton. According to recent reports, he's <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2021/10/19/top-fundraiser-in-missouri-senate-race-last-quarter-was-democrat-lucas-kunce/">begun to lead the pack in fundraising</a>."Missourians want to fundamentally change who has power in the country," Kunce said, touting recent ballot measures where Missourians have chosen to increase the minimum wage, legalize medical marijuana, expand Medicaid, and blocked a right-to-work law."They want a good candidate who will fight for them, and that's what I'm offering."

A 'populist' Senate candidate wants to ban members of Congress from holding and trading stocks — and throw them in jail if they don't comply

<ul class="summary-list"><li>GOP Sen. Josh Hawley has positioned himself as a populist ally of workers.</li><li>That's included rallying with striking auto workers with the UAW last year.</li></ul>In recent years, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/josh-hawley-new-book-religious-revivals-made-america-2024-5">Sen. Josh Hawley</a> has sought to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/vance-hawley-republicans-uaw-strikes-shawn-fain-labor-2023-9">position himself as populist Republican</a> and a staunch ally of organized labor.That's included rallying with striking auto workers in his home state of Missouri last September, courting support from labor unions, and even voting against a recent GOP-led effort to overturn a new rule from the National Labor Relations Board.Despite those moves, the United Auto Workers are endorsing Democrat Lucas Kunce over Hawley as the Missouri Republican seeks reelection this year."Josh Hawley calling himself pro-worker is a total joke. There is only one candidate in this US Senate race who has earned the trust of Missouri autoworkers, and that's Lucas Kunce," said Fred Jamison, President of the UAW Region 4 Midwest States Cap Council, in a statement first shared with Business Insider.A spokesperson for Hawley did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment.Kunce, a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/missouri-populist-lucas-kunce-senate-jail-congressmembers-stock-insider-trading-2021-12">self-styled populist Democrat</a> who also ran for Senate in 2022, is likely to prevail in the August 6 primary. Observers generally consider the race to lean Republican, though organizers are hoping to put a constitutional amendment to protect abortion rights on the ballot this November — a move that could drive Democratic turnout."I'm honored to have the support of UAW in this race," Kunce said in a statement to Business Insider. "The only way we'll put Missouri and America first in the next generation of industry is by investing in and empowering workers like them. In the US Senate, I'll fight like hell for them. Let's pass the PRO Act and Make Shit In America Again!"Hawley has made some pro-worker moves in recent years, including voting to give seven extra days of paid sick leave to rail workers during a looming strike in December 2022 and supporting a $15 minimum wage for workers at companies that generate more than $1 billion in annual revenue.The Teamsters, one of the country's largest labor unions, contributed $5,000 to Hawley's reelection campaign in April. They also gave $45,000 to the Republican National Committee — along with the same amount to the Democratic National Committee — and have seemingly considered endorsing former President Donald Trump.But Hawley previously supported right-to-work laws, and he remains opposed to the Protecting the Right to Organize Act, a top priority of organized labor. The Democratic-backed bill is designed to strengthen workers' ability to form unions."I'm not a huge fan of the PRO Act," Hawley <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/vance-hawley-republicans-uaw-strikes-shawn-fain-labor-2023-9">told Business Insider</a> in September. "My worry would be that it might, you know, hurt workers more than it helps."He went on to say that "we can have a debate about" the bill, but that the "real question" is whether certain jobs will remain in the US at all."If you want to talk about how to divide up a shrinking pie, I suppose we can do that," said Hawley. "But why don't we think about how we get more pie for labor in this country?"Hawley has also criticized public sector unions, which account for slightly less than half of all union members in the US and include teachers and police officers."I just think that public sector unions for a long time have held government hostage, held vital government services for people hostage, and that's different," Hawley <a target="_blank" href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/article280706255.html">told the Kansas City Star</a> in October. "But when you're talking about private sector unions that are trying to get folks bargaining power, these multinational corporations, particularly in the last 30 years, they're really less and less tied to this country and less and less tied to American workers."

'Total joke': Josh Hawley's bid to win labor support just backfired

Missouri held highly watched Senate primaries on Tuesday. Polls in the state closed at 7 p.m. local time and 8 p.m. ET.Attorney General Eric Schmitt defeated a crowded field of challengers in the GOP primary that included disgraced former Governor Eric Greitens.<h2>The races and the stakes: </h2> <iframe id="embed-0a94db2c-9706-46a3-8051-e388c597f2dc" src="https://embeds.ddhq.io/app/v2/client/1.0/index.html?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" frameborder="0" width="100%"></iframe> <iframe id="embed-7e6e8bf5-81ec-42de-8036-47669341595f" src="https://embeds.ddhq.io/app/v2/client/1.0/index.html?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" frameborder="0" width="100%"></iframe><h3>US Senate</h3>When two-term Republican Sen. Roy Blunt announced that he was retiring last year, the prospects for the party retaining the seat appeared strong. Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill was defeated by Josh Hawley in her bid for a third term in 2018 and Missouri voted overwhelmingly for President Donald Trump in 2020.However, when former Gov. Eric Greitens jumped into the race, many party leaders became worried that he could endanger the seat. Greitens, a former Navy SEAL and Rhodes scholar who at one time was seen as a rising national Republican star, was elected as governor in November 2016 but stepped down from office in June 2018 amid a scandal that involved allegations of blackmail sexual assault from his former hairdresser.Earlier this year, Sheena Greitens, the candidate's ex-wife, filed a sworn affidavit <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ex-wife-of-gop-senate-candidate-eric-greitens-alleges-physical-abuse-report-2022-3">accusing</a> him of physical abuse against her and one of their children. Eric Greitens vehemently denied the allegations.But the circumstances of his resignation and the accusations from his ex-wife concerned national Republicans, who feared his nomination could make the seat vulnerable, even in the GOP-leaning Show Me State.Besides Greitens, the leading Republicans in the primary included state Attorney General Eric Schmitt, and Reps. Billy Long and Vicky Hartzler.Trump on Monday injected more unpredictability into the race by <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-backs-eric-in-missouri-gop-republican-primary-election-2022-8?r=US&amp;IR=T">declaring</a> that he was backing "ERIC" while not specifying the last name of the candidate he had just endorsed. Both Greitens and Schmitt claimed the endorsement for their respective candidacies.The top-name Democrats in the race were Lucas Kunce, a Marine veteran and attorney, and Trudy Busch Valentine, an heiress to the Anheuser-Busch fortune and a former nurse.<h3>State Auditor</h3>State Treasurer Scott Fitzpatrick and state Rep. David Gregory sought to succeed Democratic State Auditor Nicole Galloway, who didn't seek reelection this year.Alan Green, a former state representative, ran unopposed in the Democratic primary.<iframe id="embed-8f1079ac-e50d-467c-b3a9-421927740850" src="https://embeds.ddhq.io/app/v2/client/1.0/index.html?U2FsdGVkX19yFKExCUojPqLRfiDCliysuqaUhgLTPJjvsxWYU9qbNPv8k6TcOfN3BIYgyI+9zn464R9H0tM9Bm/OW9OqTtaL2o2Qp7mdm3gSY3cSU6RCbOh8uJr8UBUWwieJW8to+Gl+dQM3FE0VTimH7OtS55Qz6MHCIkyiF+GX4QqHkm5i2CdlF/Guvu8+qa+kjHSEb3k7nwiOOCDHRPMKsdC/6aFy0Uq0zH15zE30MykqNMrDcPgy2w0hAV9NkEt1ux4cGGKmTui85Sin2MrlejitRMgt9Cu9PASI2gucbXw5uKIjiLhMjE0W1OcqNguSwep7a5Fz1hRpwHEgHwtJFGceXPZvMaQvIfim39ishPZbbk1Jq7uW6kixuW0SXZGtenCdoLiw6tU1x+yt+6F/UXcUgGkUA1sPkPEyGRoy9O9MOyB/lgcG4PS9UalpEDsb+6H77eo9EmX4F2aINHIWzf4tzypfNccQcyLdSCkDK/J6l7X9oATviXUywzcuRTWBRMCEW5bE1EryLkhmBEf7xbf1rDQS8wOVhyfTnpiP4xRoPDoxJjfhPU9c0ArwSV8PfmK71SYUYgFN4GSP3wVriPsowEzWWnrzU0o/p41LrX7m+43lBIyWvUSbkYxCmossZ6eIdIWTF2k1XPoy+73LIjXk+eLcYBtytv9D4PM=" frameborder="0" width="100%"></iframe> <iframe id="embed-401f322a-9f50-4708-8cee-6ea6edf2079f" src="https://embeds.ddhq.io/app/v2/client/1.0/index.html?U2FsdGVkX1+GcutZSgg0RDpIDFK/mRm9yj1EikUYKhn179FZYn7T5sb+FnWONVuC3Vnyqc/a8e03eH5SNMK5cjOOeLeI5zSOOKi+eiaeMTubg8ddhqCu3tDMS6d5WSRIcZxeArwT3aXEbotuztcRbsTgTnm+kaAhDvVFS7fijHXr3hi0ZKrP5M71924HBTvK8vOY+vUGTLmHiJBP/Fw5kAJgJIEl4g3BbX6CdLBMIfQ/Ac0XlT9+t+c/gm+1NeHAO0zqWdNLLUjXLRn0GjutscEPWZqk3K5jObKkcBS2n0jKpR78Q0whHw69GXYODCdF/aUYjfcF6Zd6ICcMKxMVEsJ+rTI4QDZ2mbRVkqaeT89bliNcyUA9FwFx3MtyKvqWllQfneEpXjMDrgoh/8EfEtxe5dboQ1FNdNrw6H2m1bc2pevPNX9YDZHLV4FuVFrSX8VUVLbJn04SYUOxXgc3u7jTyMC8rYsrP7TsxvnBLE+DazQ1+CVODbgh5m3BMksHtFd1y4tQ0pOsTA6fvPzaXks3FTE4Qjp0pRziZGUM+Uo8BWYpSUZ4QWmi1UGm0A+wxTOzC6dfhRj6OOrT/h2pWf9KY/Gsz8Sv23Qs+gxbw5c0H6B6qFP8YvlLN4R+v2AfF+GPvc27sMSqXIhX+ruQdurUZaHhGI8T8Pot9EX8RKY=" frameborder="0" width="100%"></iframe><h3>Notable US House races</h3>4th DistrictHartzler vacated her seat to run for the Senate, which attracted a large GOP field in this open-seat race.The Republican candidates included state Sen. Rick Brattin, cattle rancher Kalena Bruce, former news anchor Mark Alford, former Boone County Clerk Taylor Burks, and former professional ice hockey player Jim Campbell.Jack Truman ran unopposed for the Democratic nomination in this solidly Republican district.7th DistrictWith Long also running for the Senate, this GOP-friendly congressional district anchored in southwestern Missouri featured a wide-open contest.The Republican candidates in the race included state Sens. Eric Burlison and Mike Moon; former state Sen. Jay Wasson; pastor Alex Bryant; and Dr. Sam Alexander.The candidates in the Democratic primary included Bryce Lockwood, Kristen Radaker-Sheafer, and John Woodman.<h2>State legislative primaries: </h2> <iframe id="embed-0f80a9f2-0b68-4008-8b3f-fe0a839b2a36" src="https://embeds.ddhq.io/app/v2/client/1.0/index.html?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" frameborder="0" width="100%"></iframe> <iframe id="embed-5972f2c4-11f0-4e74-88a3-a6f5a7f0c70e" src="https://embeds.ddhq.io/app/v2/client/1.0/index.html?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" frameborder="0" width="100%"></iframe> <iframe id="embed-c6cc0d70-31ce-422d-97d9-d449796ab44b" src="https://embeds.ddhq.io/app/v2/client/1.0/index.html?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" frameborder="0" width="100%"></iframe><iframe id="embed-9279f217-3a76-4646-a60e-011f6f867042" src="https://embeds.ddhq.io/app/v2/client/1.0/index.html?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" frameborder="0" width="100%"></iframe>

Attorney General Eric Schmitt prevails over Greitens in Missouri GOP Senate primary: Live Results

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and some states have moved to ban abortion. </li><li>Democratic operatives were alarmed the White House didn't immediately present a plan for patients.</li></ul><keyword id="11896865" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="democrats" source="Orion">Democrats</keyword> are furious with the White House and congressional leaders over what they consider an underwhelming response to the Supreme Court's reversal of federal protections for abortion.While President <keyword id="99719" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="joe-biden" source="Orion">Joe Biden</keyword> urged voters to elect more Democrats supportive of abortion rights in November, operatives and grassroots activists want officials to take more action now to protect access to care. They say planning should have started much earlier for this outcome, which has been expected since conservatives gained a 6-3 majority in the Supreme Court in October 2020. The decision became more definitive in early May when<a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2022/05/02/supreme-court-abortion-draft-opinion-00029473" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> POLITICO published</a> a leaked draft of the opinion overturning <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/supreme-court-abortion-decision-final-ruling-scotus-roe-v-wade-2022-6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Roe v. Wade</a>, the landmark 1973 decision that guaranteed a national right to abortion. "There's a fundamental failure of Democratic leadership at this moment, not rising to the moment and taking bold moves that the public is clamoring for," said Adam Green, co-founder of Progressive Change Campaign Committee. "We had many weeks since the leak to prepare for this Roe decision, and the response has been tepid at best."Democratic strategist Max Burns said congressional Democrats should have used the time to plan a full package of abortion rights protections they could roll out the day after the decision."I've been honestly stunned that very few of those conversations seemed to have happened, and we've not seen any major initiatives or White House policies rolled out," he told Insider. "It really does feel like this fell off focus due to inflation/economy, because this does not feel like a party with a clear abortion rights plan." <div type="image" title="Sen. Patty Murray" height="3888" width="5184" msid="92607344" hostid="261"></div><h2>Congress limited by what it can do </h2>In Congress, Democrats have been stymied by an evenly divided Senate and filibuster rules requiring 60 votes to pass major legislation. The <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/roe-v-wade-the-bill-democrats-are-pushing-to-protect-abortion-rights-2022-5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Women's Health Protection Act</a>, which would make abortion legal in every state and invalidate most restrictions, failed 49-51 in May. Biden on Thursday <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/biden-roe-v-wade-senate-filibuster-carveout-abortion-rights-2022-6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">called</a> on the Senate to suspend its filibuster rules to codify abortion rights. But there isn't enough support <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/manchin-and-sinema-oppose-ending-filibuster-to-codify-roe-v-wade-2022-6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">among Democratic ranks</a> to do this. Democratic Sens. Tim Kaine of Virginia and Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine are working on a bipartisan bill. But one senior Democratic Senate aide told Insider that Democratic women senators and abortion rights groups say privately that they don't see the legislation going anywhere because nine Republicans would need to get onboard, "which everyone knows will never happen right now." The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee <a href="https://www.murray.senate.gov/senator-murray-announces-help-hearing-on-abortion-and-reproductive-health-care-post-roe/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">will hold a hearing July 13 </a>on the impact of the Supreme Court's decision.Women who have had <keyword id="12021656" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="abortions" source="Orion">abortions</keyword> and who have testified at congressional hearings want to see something come of it, said Renee Bracey Sherman, founder and executive director of We Testify, which elevates the voices of those who've had abortions."Not being the Party of Assholes isn't enough," Bracey Sherman said. "We need Senate Democrats to get their act together, abolish the filibuster, pass the <keyword id="14344143" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="womens-health-protection-act" source="Orion">Women's Health Protection Act</keyword>, and pass the <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/1021/text" target="_blank" rel="noopener">EACH Act</a> to ensure everyone has access to abortion at any time, for any reason, anywhere." The EACH Act legislation would allow the federal government to pay for abortions, particularly for low-income people. Since the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/roe-v-wade-the-bill-democrats-are-pushing-to-protect-abortion-rights-2022-5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Women's Health Protection Act</a> failed, Senate Democrats have been ramping up pressure on Biden to do more. Senate Help Committee Chair Patty Murray of Washington and more than 20 other colleagues urged the president in a <a href="https://www.help.senate.gov/chair/newsroom/press/murray-warren-lead-over-20-senators-urging-president-biden-to-issue-executive-order-to-defend-americans-right-to-an-abortion" target="_blank" rel="noopener">June 8 letter</a> to issue an executive order to protect abortion rights, including increasing access to medication abortion, providing resources for those seeking abortions in other states, and using federal property and resources to increase abortion access.After the court's decision, more than 30 senators joined Murray in <a href="https://www.murray.senate.gov/murray-democrats-push-biden-for-bold-action-to-protect-abortion-access-in-a-post-roe-america/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">another letter to Biden</a>, urging him to take every step possible to protect abortion access. "You have the power to fight back and lead a national response to this devastating decision," they wrote.A White House spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.Before becoming president Biden had <a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/politics/articles/2022-06-24/how-biden-and-trump-switched-sides-on-abortion" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a spotty record</a> on abortion rights. Earlier this week, many Democratic operatives seethed when they learned Biden <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/biden-nominating-anti-abortion-republican-chad-meredith-federal-judge-reports-2022-6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">would be nominating</a> an anti-abortion lawyer to a lifetime federal judiciary appointment in Kentucky. The White House hasn't embraced the idea of<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/06/28/politics/white-house-federal-lands-abortion/index.html"> building abortion clinics</a> on federal lands.On Tuesday Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/becerra-pledges-health-agencies-will-increase-abortion-bill-access-2022-6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">proposed</a> some other actions the administration might take, such as increasing access to medication abortions, but stressed that before presenting specific policies officials wanted to ensure they were on firm legal footing. But many Democrats want a firmer stance. "There is a fair amount of anger right now," a Democratic strategist who has also worked in reproductive advocacy told Insider. "They are shooting down so many ideas without providing their own," the strategist added. "And that's where people are wondering: If you weren't going to come up with solutions, why did you run for president?"The Progressive Change Campaign Committee welcomed Biden's comments on the filibuster carveout for abortion rights, but Green said the president isn't doing enough. He suggested Biden could bring pro-abortion-rights Republicans, Collins and Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, to Camp David or the White House and pressure them to support a filibuster carveout for abortion rights legislation."If he has them over to the White House…and then they rebuffed his offer publicly, well, at least he tried," Green said. "But so far, it just feels like a fundraising tactic."<div type="image" title="House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Democrat from California.." height="1333" width="1778" msid="92607346" hostid="261"></div><h2>The House will hold votes on abortion rights</h2>In response to the Roe decision, House Speaker <keyword id="128640" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="nancy-pelosi" source="Orion">Nancy Pelosi</keyword> <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=dear+colleague+pelosi+roe&amp;sxsrf=ALiCzsbDNGRaLtMfDinOb-uW-z8jA40Wrg%3A1656690697157&amp;ei=CRi_YpefCM-VwbkPmO676Ag" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said Monday</a> that the chamber would re-consider the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/roe-v-wade-the-bill-democrats-are-pushing-to-protect-abortion-rights-2022-5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Women's Health Protection Act</a>. The House will also consider legislation to shield women from criminal prosecution if they travel out of state to get an abortion, and a bill that will protect health data on apps, <a href="https://www.speaker.gov/newsroom/62722-0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">she said</a>. A senior Democratic aide said the votes would help to underscore "new elements of Republicans' extreme ambitions." There appears to be no immediate plans to have Republicans vote on bills that would be even more broadly popular and cast them as <a href="https://news.gallup.com/poll/1576/abortion.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener">deeply out-of-step</a> with a vast majority of the public, such as a vote to create a federal right to abortion in the first trimester — when <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2022/06/24/what-the-data-says-about-abortion-in-the-u-s-2/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">90% of abortions occur</a>.Green said it would be "political malpractice" for Democrats not to hold votes on legislation reinforcing that birth control should remain legal and codifying abortion rights in the cases of rape or incest. The Progressive Change Campaign Committee also wants Biden and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to say the filibuster should be eliminated "once and for all" if more Democrats are elected to Congress in November. A senior House Democratic aide told Insider that votes along the lines of what Green raised hadn't been ruled out. Pelosi, in her letter to the US House, said legislation would be introduced to "codify freedoms which Americans currently enjoy" and hinted at possibilities on birth control, in-vitro fertilization, and same-sex marriage. "The public is going to hold Republicans responsible for every <keyword id="11893589" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="news" source="Orion">news</keyword> alert about a trigger law taking effect, every viral story of rape victims being denied the morning-after-pill, or women almost bleeding out during a miscarriage, every state legislator's threat to criminalize helping women travel or providing information about abortion resources," the aide said. One senior Democratic Senate aide familiar with the caucus' talks said Democrats were exploring numerous options including ensuring women could travel to other states and pressing the Biden administration to use military bases. They want Republicans "who created this mess to own it," the person said. But beyond the political impact is knowing the human impact the Roe decision will have, particularly on low-income people who "already don't have power in their own lives," said Connor Lounsbury, deputy campaign manager for Lucas Kunce. Kunce, a veteran and antitrust advocate, is running for US Senate in Missouri where abortion is now illegal even in cases of rape and incest. "People deserve something more as a response from at the very least a Democratic administration," Lounsbury said. "This is why people don't trust Washington: It's not just the other side. It's the moments you feel let down by your own team. That's what felt so devastating about the Roe decision followed by, 'It's on you now to vote.' That hurt."

Democrats are fuming over their leaders' 'tepid' response to Roe v. Wade's demise

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Sheena Greitens accused former <keyword id="11911042" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="missouri" source="Orion">Missouri</keyword> Gov. <keyword id="12410922" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="eric-greitens" source="Orion">Eric Greitens</keyword>, of physically abusing her.</li><li>She made the allegations about her ex-husband, who is now running for the US Senate, in a new court filing.</li></ul>Sheena Greitens accused former Missouri governor and current GOP Senate candidate Eric Greitens, her ex-husband, of physically abusing and threatening her and their children, according to a court filing on Monday, the Associated Press reported."Prior to our divorce, during an argument in late April 2018, Eric knocked me down and confiscated my cell phone, wallet and keys so that I was unable to call for help or extricate myself and our children from our home," Sheena wrote in a filing in an on-going custody dispute, the AP <a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-campaigns-eric-greitens-missouri-texas-5cb2c458155b4f611b0e9a3377d9d970">reported</a>. "I became afraid for my safety and that of our children at our home."Sheena, a public affairs professor at the University of Texas, wrote that Eric's behavior "included physical violence toward our children." These alleged actions included "cuffing our then-3-year-old son across the face at the dinner table in front of me and yanking him around by his hair."Eric Greitens' Senate campaign denied the abuse allegations in a statement accusing Sheena of attempting to "vindictively destroy her ex-husband" in order to win full custody of their two sons and damage his political career. The campaign also called Sheena "deranged" and accused her of threatening to lie about her ex-husband while the two were married. The couple divorced in 2020.In a later statement, Greitens did not repeat some of his attacks on his now ex-wife, but still called on her to "seek help.""I will continue to love and care for my beautiful sons with all of my being, and that includes fighting for the truth and against completely fabricated, baseless allegations,"<a href="https://twitter.com/EricGreitens/status/1505982823651745792?s=20&amp;t=62x0TLDjPKdjvXg_HUTT4g">he said in a statement posted on Twitter.</a>Two of Greitens biggest challengers for the GOP nomination called on him to drop out of the race. Rep. Vicky Hartzler, who Sen. Josh Hawley endorsed, encouraged Greitens to "get professional help.""Real men never abuse women and children. Period, end of story," <a href="https://twitter.com/HafnerMO/status/1505969196089450503?s=20&amp;t=62x0TLDjPKdjvXg_HUTT4g">Hartzler said of the allegations</a>. "It's time for Eric to get out of the Senate race and get professional help."Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt said in a statement that allegations were "disgusting and sickening.""The behavior described in this affidavit is cause for Eric Greitens to be in prison, not on the ballot for U.S. Senate," Schmitt said in a statement released by his campaign.US Rep. Billy Long, a loyal Trump ally, <a href="https://twitter.com/drdesrochers/status/1505982282691235846?s=20&amp;t=62x0TLDjPKdjvXg_HUTT4g">told the Kansas City Star</a> that he would not call for Greitens to drop out.In her sworn affidavit, Sheena Greitens claims that her then-husband threatened her when she sought care from a therapist. "Eric threatened to accuse me of child abuse if I did not delete the emails and convince the therapist to delete them," she wrote in the filing.At the time, Eric Greitens' governorship was imploding over a sexual-misconduct scandal. A woman that Eric admitted to having an extramarital affair with testified to Missouri lawmakers that Eric coerced her into sexual acts, including tying her up against her will. He admitted to having an affair, but denied those allegations. He later resigned in the face of an impeachment threat, but has since returned to <keyword id="11893346" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="politics" source="Orion">politics</keyword> and is seeking to replace retiring <keyword id="11899365" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="republican" source="Orion">Republican</keyword> Sen. Roy Blunt.Some Republicans have shunned Eric Greitens' Senate campaign. <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2022/02/16/missouri-senate-poll-alarms-gop-00009317">But polling has shown</a> the former governor is <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/eric-greitens-winning-over-trump-by-bashing-mcconnell-report-2022-3">competitive for the GOP nomination</a>. Hawley, who as state attorney general investigated the earlier alleged sexual misconduct, also called on Greitens to drop out."If you hit a woman or a child, you belong in handcuffs, not the United States Senate," <a href="https://twitter.com/hawleymo/status/1505987539684974609?s=21">Hawley wrote on Twitter.</a>Lucas Kunce, a Marine-veteran and Democratic Senate candidate, <a href="https://twitter.com/LucasKunceMO/status/1505967109293199365?s=20&amp;t=sZyD-VLc2M78i50MihFbmw">echoed</a> the GOP calls for Greitens to drop out. Sheena also claimed that people around Eric were concerned about the then-governor's well-being and his easy access to firearms."Multiple people other than myself were worried enough to intervene to limit Eric's access to firearms," she wrote, adding that Eric threatened self-harm "unless I provided specific public political support."After the couple's divorce, Sheena moved to Austin, Texas where she took a position as an associate professor at the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs. She's seeking to move the custody case to Texas, the AP reported.This is a breaking <keyword id="11893589" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="news" source="Orion">news</keyword> story. Check back for updates.

GOP Senate candidate Eric Greitens' ex-wife says he was physically abusive and she feared for her safety in new court filing: report

<ul class="summary-list"><li>A Democratic US Senate candidate in Missouri has pledged to "stand up" to health insurers. </li><li>But the candidate, Trudy Busch Valentine, holds stock in CVS Health, Humana, and UnitedHealth Group.</li></ul>In her bid to represent Missouri in the US Senate, Democrat Trudy Busch Valentine has <a href="https://twitter.com/buschvalentine/status/1550468956862955521?s=20&amp;t=AxXehZmrFIT6iVY7qYTEcw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pledged</a> to "stand up insurance companies" on healthcare reform. Yet the first-time political candidate holds stocks in large health insurance companies, according to a personal financial disclosure Valentine filed with the US Senate. They include investments in Humana; UnitedHealth Group, the world's largest insurer; and CVS Health, the parent company of Aetna. Taken together, the shares are valued between $768,008 and $1.7 million, according to an Insider analysis of the filings.Valentine's disclosure also indicates that, in 2021, she earned between $237,908 and $2.1 million in income from dividends and capital gains from the health insurance investments.Candidate reporting rules only require politicians to report their values of their stock holdings, dividends, and capital gains in broad ranges.<iframe src="https://embed.documentcloud.org/documents/22121380-busch-valentine-financial-disclosure/?embed=1&amp;responsive=1&amp;title=1" title="Busch Valentine Financial Disclosure (Hosted by DocumentCloud)" width="700" height="540" style="border: 1px solid #aaa; width: 100%; height: 800px; height: calc(100vh - 100px);" sandbox="allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-forms allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox"></iframe>Valentine is a former nurse and also a multi-millionaire. Her family owned a majority stake in Anheuser-Busch until 2008, when InBev bought the alcohol retailer for $52 billion.She holds stock in numerous other corporations, including tech giants Apple, Amazon, and Google, apparel company Nike, and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, which made a COVID-19 treatment. She and and her husband have a net worth between $69.4 million and $219.4 million, according to her financial disclosure. If elected, she'd be <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/wealthiest-members-congress-house-senate-finances-2021-12#1-sen-rick-scott-a-republican-from-florida-200327223-25" target="_blank" rel="noopener">one of the wealthiest</a> members of Congress. She has pledged not to take a Senate salary if she wins the race. "Trudy has been very clear that she can't be bought, that she is running for public office as another form of service, and that expanding quality, affordable healthcare is one of her top priorities," Valentine campaign spokeswoman Elizabeth Markowitz told Insider in response to an inquiry about the disclosure.Valentine has said that if elected then she would place the assets of she and her husband, John Fries, into a blind trust, which is a formal arrangement, requiring congressional approval, in which a lawmaker officially transfers management of their financial assets to an independent trustee.Markowitz said the arrangement would help Missouri voters "trust that she is voting in their best interests" and that Valentine would start the process "immediately" after being elected. Dylan Hedtler-Gaudette, government affairs manager at the nonpartisan Project on Government Oversight, said the investments could "raise questions about how that person is going to operate as a member of Congress in terms of ethics and conflicts of interests." "The cleanest thing to do for anyone who is running for office, as a way to remove doubts about their decisions, is to clean up their portfolios as much as possible," such as investing only in index funds or completing the blind trust process before running for office.Even with a blind trust, he said, there can still be conflicts of interest because politicians already know which corporate stocks they hold. <a href="https://www.ethics.senate.gov/public/_cache/files/286a4cf9-5aab-40ef-9a6c-bf2278e79e38/qualified-blind-trusts-guide---october-2020.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Congressional guidance</a> says blind trusts provide the "most comprehensive approach" to avoiding "potential conflicts of interest or the appearance of such conflicts," but they can be expensive and time-consuming to establish, making them only accessible to wealthy lawmakers.<div type="image" title="Trudy Busch Valentine is running for the Democratic nomination for the US Senate race in Missouri." height="1874" width="2500" msid="93170743" hostid="261" sizebytes="259820"></div><h2>Crowded race in Missouri</h2>Valentine is one of the frontrunners in an <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/06/13/lesser-know-candidates-struggle-for-spotlight-in-missouri-senate-primaries/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">11-person race</a>, alongside Marine veteran <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/lucas-kunce-missouri-senate-hopeful-criticizes-democrats-abortion-response-2022-7" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lucas Kunce</a> and businessman Spencer Toder. They'll face off in the August 2 primary for the seat that is being vacated by Republican Sen. Roy Blunt, who is retiring. The winner will likely face <a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/article263836367.html">one of three Republicans</a>: former Gov. Eric Greitens, Rep. Vicky Hartzler, or Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt. Rep. Billy Long and several other lesser-known candidates are <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/3573591-missouri-ag-leads-gop-senate-primary-field-as-greitens-drops-poll/">also running</a>.Valentine has said that watching her younger sister receive care after a severe spinal cord injury inspired her to go into the healthcare field. She later became a volunteer hospice nurse after her husband died of cancer in 2002. Two decades later, her son died from an opioid overdose.<blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px); data.width~540;"><div style="padding:8px;"><div style="background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:62.4537037037% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;"><div style="background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAABGdBTUEAALGPC/xhBQAAAAFzUkdCAK7OHOkAAAAMUExURczMzPf399fX1+bm5mzY9AMAAADiSURBVDjLvZXbEsMgCES5/P8/t9FuRVCRmU73JWlzosgSIIZURCjo/ad+EQJJB4Hv8BFt+IDpQoCx1wjOSBFhh2XssxEIYn3ulI/6MNReE07UIWJEv8UEOWDS88LY97kqyTliJKKtuYBbruAyVh5wOHiXmpi5we58Ek028czwyuQdLKPG1Bkb4NnM+VeAnfHqn1k4+GPT6uGQcvu2h2OVuIf/gWUFyy8OWEpdyZSa3aVCqpVoVvzZZ2VTnn2wU8qzVjDDetO90GSy9mVLqtgYSy231MxrY6I2gGqjrTY0L8fxCxfCBbhWrsYYAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;"></div></div><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CbsPwabuRv6" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank"></a> <p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by Trudy Busch Valentine (@trudybuschvalentine)<time style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;" datetime=""></time></div></blockquote>She has pledged not to take funds from corporate political action committees.Insider's "<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/conflicted-congress-key-findings-stock-act-finances-investing-2021-12">Conflicted Congress</a>" investigation published in December found dozens of lawmakers whose personal stock trades are discordant with their public responsibilities, such as members who craft anti-tobacco policy but <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/congress-tobacco-stocks-philip-morris-altria-vaping-cigarettes-2021-12" target="_blank" rel="noopener">invest in tobacco giants</a> and others who receive plaudits from environmental groups for crafting policy aimed at combating the climate crisis — yet <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/congress-democrats-with-fossil-fuel-stocks-investments-2021-12" target="_blank" rel="noopener">invest in fossil fuel companies</a>."Conflicted Congress" also <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/congress-members-are-trading-defense-stocks-while-shaping-military-policy-2021-12">found</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/lawmakers-bought-sold-covid-19-related-stocks-during-pandemic-2021-12">numerous</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/congress-democrats-with-fossil-fuel-stocks-investments-2021-12">examples</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/lawmakers-investing-in-crypto-as-congress-weighs-regulations-2021-12">of</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/congress-holding-stocks-facebook-twitter-disney-fox-news-2021-12">conflicts</a> of interest among federal lawmakers, both Democrats and Republicans. The 2012 federal <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/stock-act-congress-trading-stocks-investing-2022-3">Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge Act</a>, or STOCK Act, allows members of Congress and candidates for office to trade stocks so long as they quickly and publicly disclose the trades.But in recent months Congress has been <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/financial-conflicts-congress-members-rated-2021-12?page=stories" target="_blank" rel="noopener">debating</a> whether to make the rules more strict — or to ban congressional stock trading altogether. Valentine has <a href="https://twitter.com/buschvalentine/status/1542264580138844168?s=21&amp;t=NC3bGYCY95Rj2lyx6n1Drg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pledged </a>to co-sponsor a ban for lawmakers and their immediate families.Her campaign said her stocks are managed by investment managers who have "complete discretion" over her stock purchases, adding that she does not "have daily oversight of those decisions." <h2>Valentine favors a 'public option'</h2>Valentine said <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/07/19/missouri-democrat-senate-hopefuls-discuss-abolishing-the-filibuster-medicare-for-all/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">during a candidate forum</a> this month that she doesn't support a healthcare proposal known as "Medicare for All," which would abolish nearly all private health insurance in favor of placing everyone living in the US onto a government plan. At least eight other Senate candidates in Missouri said they supported the Medicare for All Act, which independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont has championed. Instead, Valentine favors an approach also endorsed by President Joe Biden during his White House campaign. Often called a "public option," the plan would create a government insurance option similar to Medicare that people could opt to have instead of private insurance. Health insurers oppose both a public option and the Medicare for All Act, instead favoring more funding toward Obamacare, formally known as the Affordable Care Acrt."Trudy supports universal access to quality, affordable healthcare," Markowitz said. "She believes that everyone should be able to afford to see a doctor. Trudy is open to a variety of proposals to get America to universal coverage."

A Democratic US Senate candidate in Missouri pledged to 'stand up' to health insurers. Records show she personally invests in CVS Health, Humana, and UnitedHealth Group.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>A growing chorus of lawmakers want to ban members of congress, and even their families, from trading stocks.</li><li>They say the issue is about protecting democracy, trust in government, and stopping unethical behavior.</li></ul>In the wake of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/we-are-free-market-economy-pelosi-rejects-stock-ban-congress-2021-12">rejection of a ban on lawmakers and their spouses from trading stocks</a>, momentum is building for proposals to ban the practice."We are a free-market economy. They should be able to participate in that," Pelosi said <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/we-are-free-market-economy-pelosi-rejects-stock-ban-congress-2021-12">when asked by Insider</a> about the idea at a December press conference.With increased scrutiny of Pelosi's husband's frequent stock trades, a spate of recent pandemic-related insider trading scandals, and Insider's own <keyword id="12727727" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="conflicted-congress" source="Orion">Conflicted Congress</keyword> investigation — which found that 52 members of Congress have violated the anti-insider trading <keyword id="12169748" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="stock-act" source="Orion">STOCK Act</keyword> — several proposals have arisen to ban the practice.On Tuesday, Punchbowl News <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/kevin-mccarthy-considers-barring-lawmakers-trading-stocks-2022-1">reported that</a> House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy was interested in a ban.Both the <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/1579?r=62&amp;s=1">Ban Conflicted Trading Act</a> and the <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/336?r=2&amp;s=1">TRUST in Congress Act</a> have bipartisan support, and would prevent members of Congress from trading stocks while in office either by forcing them to hold existing investments for the duration of their terms or by putting such assets <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/blind-trust-explainer-theresa-may-philp-may-paradise-papers-2017-11">into a blind trust</a>.Members could still hold certain investments like index and mutual funds, participating in the free market that way.And Sen. Jon Ossoff — who's <a href="https://www.ajc.com/politics/sen-jon-ossoff-fulfills-campaign-promise-by-putting-assets-in-blind-trust/SUSDSU7E6JE63CGIAROQ4DO2ZU/">placed his own assets into a blind trust</a> and defeated former Sen. David Perdue last year amid the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/gop-senator-david-perdue-stock-trades-in-one-day-nyt-2020-12">Georgia Republican's own stock-trading scandal</a> — is <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/jon-ossoff-stock-trade-ban-members-of-congress-pelosi-2022-1">reportedly seeking a Republican co-sponsor for</a> a bill that's broadly similar to the TRUST in Congress Act, serving as a potential Senate companion to the blind trust-focused bill.And all of those proposals follow Sen. Elizabeth Warren's <a href="https://www.warren.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/warren-and-jayapal-reintroduce-the-anti-corruption-and-public-integrity-act">Anti-Corruption and Public Integrity Act</a>, a broader suite of ethics reforms that would've included a stock-trading ban, which she first introduced in 2018 and plans to reintroduce this year, her office confirmed to Insider.Meanwhile, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/76-percent-disagree-with-pelosi-congress-unfair-advantage-stock-trading-2022-1">polling from across the political spectrum</a> shows the idea is popular among the American public, and members of Congress <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ocasio-cortez-pelosi-no-reason-members-congress-trade-individual-stock-2021-12">are increasingly pushing back on Pelosi's position</a>.<h2>'I did not have a positive reaction to those comments'</h2><div type="image" title="Reps. Abigail Spanberger and Dean Phillips on Capitol Hill on December 1, 2020." height="1000" width="2000" msid="88838780" hostid="261"></div>Following Pelosi's rejection of a hypothetical stock-trading ban, Rep. <keyword id="12481685" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="abigail-spanberger" source="Orion">Abigail Spanberger</keyword> of Virginia was <a href="https://twitter.com/RepSpanberger/status/1471530748716978187?s=20">one of the first Democrats to contradict her</a>."I did not have a positive reaction to those comments," Spanberger told Insider in a phone interview, pointing out that members of Congress have access to privileged information otherwise unavailable to the public.Her bill, the TRUST in Congress Act, boasts 10 Democratic cosponsors — ranging from moderates like herself to progressives like Rep. Mondaire Jones of New York — and 5 Republican cosponsors, including House Freedom Caucus Chair Rep. Scott Perry of Pennsylvania and Rep. <keyword id="12063659" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="chip-roy" source="Orion">Chip Roy</keyword> of Texas.The bill was first introduced following <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-republican-senator-dumped-shares-ahead-of-market-crash-2020-3">a slew of pandemic-related insider trading scandals in 2020</a>, emerging from a rare bipartisan friendship between Spanberger and Roy based on their shared connection as alumni of the University of Virginia."He and I were talking and we were both disgusted," said Spanberger. "I don't know who's selling stocks at the beginning of a global pandemic in the first place, let alone doing so with information."The TRUST in Congress Act, which has been <a href="https://spanberger.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=3449">endorsed by a wide swath</a> of good-government advocacy groups, would force members of Congress — as well as their spouses and dependent children — to place financial investments like stocks into <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/blind-trust-explainer-theresa-may-philp-may-paradise-papers-2017-11">a so-called blind trust</a> in which an independent financial expert directs investments without the owner's knowledge. Roy pointed to Paul Pelosi's stock-trading as an example. "Honestly, everything she owns ought to be in an index, broadly traded fund, or completely and fully blind. I mean, when I say blind, I mean, legally, it is in a box and she gets the reports back," he said.Pelosi's office has noted that the Speaker herself does not own any stock. However, spouses are included in the anti-insider trading STOCK Act because they frequently have access to privileged information.Some critics of the blind trust idea contend that it's not strict enough. Democratic Missouri Senate candidate and anti-monopoly expert Lucas Kunce <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/missouri-populist-lucas-kunce-senate-jail-congressmembers-stock-insider-trading-2021-12">called the idea a "dog and pony show solution" in an interview</a> with Insider last month. Kunce pointed to how Sen. Joe Manchin's <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/12/13/manchin-blind-trust-enersystems-stock-climate-change/">use of a blind trust</a> likely hasn't prevented the West Virginia lawmaker from potentially making decisions that further his own financial investment in the coal industry. And Sen. Warren's previous proposal would <a href="https://www.warren.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Master%20Summary%20of%20Anti%20Corruption%20Act%20-%20FINAL.pdf">ban members outright from holding any stock at all</a> while in office.But Spanberger's focus is also on the perception of self-dealing by members, which she sees as part of a broader crisis in the public's trust in institutions."When I first started campaigning, a lot of people, be it on the campaign finance side of things, just expressed so much doubt in their legislators," she said. "Which I found to be dispiriting, disappointing, and frankly...pretty dangerous to democracy."<h2>'Many spouses are in the financial services industry'</h2><div type="image" title="Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi talks to the press during in the Rayburn House Office Building on October 19, 2018." height="1000" width="2000" msid="88838782" hostid="261"></div>The Ban Conflicted Trading Act — supported by a smattering of progressive "Squad" members along with Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida — is broadly similar to Roy and Spanberger's proposal. Both require members of Congress to either use a blind trust or simply agree not to trade stocks for the during of their terms."I understand that some traders, all they do is they follow the disclosures of members of Congress," said Rep. <keyword id="12932176" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="raja-krishnamoorthi" source="Orion">Raja Krishnamoorthi</keyword>, the lead sponsor of the bill in the House, told Insider, referring to <a href="https://www.npr.org/2021/09/21/1039313011/tiktokers-are-trading-stocks-by-watching-what-members-of-congress-do">a newly popular practice among social media users, especially on TikTok</a>. "So they mimic their trades, and apparently some of them have become very wealthy doing just that."The BCTA also applies to senior congressional staff — <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/congress-staff-violated-stock-act-conflicts-of-interest-possible-2021-12">dozens of whom have also violated the STOCK Act</a> — while the TRUST in Congress Act does not. "You know, many times senior congressional staff on committees have access to even more information than certain members of Congress," said Krishnamoorthi.But the other bill excludes staffers."At the end of the day, remember it is Congress who votes on this crap," said Roy, explaining the focus on lawmakers. Both he and Spanberger said they would be amenable to apply the same requirements to staffers as well, but wanted to keep the focus narrow. "I could fire my chief of staff tomorrow if she did something unethical, but it is not the same for the people who hired me with their vote," said Spanberger.And Krishnamoorthi's bill does not include spouses and dependent children, which some have identified as a "loophole" in the proposal's goal of preventing trading on privileged information. "We also have to realize that many spouses are in the financial services industry," he remarked, clarifying that he's not opposed to the idea.But when asked about her own bill's inclusion of family members, Spanberger didn't mince words."It's a bit of a farce to say, oh, I'm not conflicted, but you know, ignore the fact that my husband just bought a million dollars in Clorox stock at the beginning of a global pandemic," she quipped. "It's almost an insult to the American people to pretend like excluding a spouse is an appropriate thing."<h2>The fate of the bills remains unclear</h2><div type="image" title="Rep. Chip Roy at a press conference outside the Capitol Building on August 23, 2021." height="1000" width="2000" msid="88838784" hostid="261"></div>Despite sweeping public approval of the idea, the largest hurdles to any bill to stop stock-trading may originate primarily from members themselves. Even those who are leading the charge have encountered difficulties adapting.According to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/search-congress-personal-finances-with-insiders-exclusive-database-2021-12">Insider's exclusive, searchable database of members' personal assets</a>, Roy still owns up to $15,000 in Kinder Morgan, an oil and gas pipeline operator. But in 2020, he <a href="https://roy.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-chip-roy-letter-kinder-morgan">sent a letter to the company</a> after they contaminated the water supply of two of his constituents. "I was trying to help some of my constituents kind of push back on Kinder. I'm pro-pipeline, but I want pipelines to be safe and put in the right place," he said.At that point, he consulted congressional ethics officials about whether he should sell that stock. The officials told Roy that selling the stock before criticizing the company, and potentially driving down its stock value, could appear corrupt.The Texas Republican said he planned to move his assets over to broadly traded funds and index funds within the year. "Another reason why the TRUST in Congress Act or moving in that direction would be good is that this one was, for me, tough," he said.Spanberger noted that Rep. Dean Phillips of Minnesota was motivated to <a href="https://disclosures-clerk.house.gov/public_disc/financial-pdfs/2021/8218302.pdf">create a blind trust</a> after signing on to the TRUST in Congress Act as a Democratic cosponsor. And despite Pelosi's opposition, Roy expressed hope that the proposal would continue to garner momentum over the course of the next year, given the looming election season."I wish and hope that Republicans will embrace some of those reforms for the health and the good of the institution and the republic, irrespective of the <keyword id="11893346" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="politics" source="Orion">politics</keyword> of taking the House back," he said. "We're heading into election season, where people have to start promising what they're going to do in 2023. Now's the time to sort of do that."

Several lawmakers want to ban themselves from trading stocks, calling the appearance of self-dealing 'pretty dangerous to democracy'

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Democrats against a congressional stock trade ban are hurting flyover country candidates, they say.</li><li>They argue it's both bad <keyword id="11893346" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="politics" source="Orion">politics</keyword> and bad policy as Democrats try to hold on to their majorities.</li></ul>Out in Outagamie County, Wisconsin, two flights and a lengthy Lyft ride from Capitol Hill, US Senate candidate <keyword id="13106412" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="tom-nelson" source="Orion">Tom Nelson</keyword> follows events in Washington with disbelief as leaders of his own Democratic Party resist banning members of <keyword id="11893699" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="congress" source="Orion">Congress</keyword> from <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/search-congress-personal-finances-with-insiders-exclusive-database-2021-12">buying and selling stock</a>. Nelson, the county's <a href="https://www.outagamie.org/government/departments-a-e/county-executive-office">elected executive</a>, is particularly bamboozled by President <keyword id="99719" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="joe-biden" source="Orion">Joe Biden</keyword>'s unwillingness to back any of the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/financial-conflicts-congress-members-rated-2021-12?page=stories">several bipartisan plans</a> to have emerged or re-emerged since Insider's "<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/conflicted-congress-key-findings-stock-act-finances-investing-2021-12">Conflicted Congress</a>" project in December revealed <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/congress-members-are-trading-defense-stocks-while-shaping-military-policy-2021-12">numerous</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/lawmakers-bought-sold-covid-19-related-stocks-during-pandemic-2021-12">financial</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/lawmakers-investing-in-crypto-as-congress-weighs-regulations-2021-12">conflicts</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/congress-holding-stocks-facebook-twitter-disney-fox-news-2021-12">of interest</a> and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/congress-stock-act-violations-senate-house-trading-2021-9">widespread</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/congress-staff-violated-stock-act-conflicts-of-interest-possible-2021-12">violations</a> of the Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge Act of 2012, a law designed to prevent them. Biden wants Congress to "determine what the rules should be," White House press secretary <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/white-house-defers-to-congress-on-stock-trading-rules-for-lawmakers-2022-1">Jen Psaki said</a>.But Nelson said it's "a bad mistake" for Biden to sit it out."He's got to get in the ring. He can't lead from behind," said <a href="https://wisconsinexaminer.com/2022/01/18/the-underdog-tom-nelsons-longshot-race-for-u-s-senate/">Nelson</a>, who's running in a crowded Democratic <a href="https://ballotpedia.org/United_States_Senate_election_in_Wisconsin,_2022">primary</a> for a shot at challenging two-term incumbent Sen. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ron-johnson-wisconsin-third-senate-term-conservative-sources-2022-1">Ron Johnson</a>, a Republican. "Democrats need a win — we need a big win. I'm concerned that he's not embracing this issue."Nelson's outrage is shared by a growing number of Democratic congressional candidates who don't work in Washington, DC, but want to. And they're making a congressional stock ban a thick plank in their campaign platforms. US Senate candidate Lucas Kunce in Missouri not only wants to ban members of Congress from trading <keyword id="11893878" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="stocks" source="Orion">stocks</keyword>, but he also wants to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/missouri-populist-lucas-kunce-senate-jail-congressmembers-stock-insider-trading-2021-12">toss them in jail</a> if they don't comply.US Senate candidate John Fetterman in Pennsylvania <a href="https://twitter.com/JohnFetterman/status/1488966936985751553">said Wednesday</a> that "there isn't any voter I've ever spoken to that says, 'yes, we should allow members of Congress to either protect their investments or make money based off the information they come in contact to."They join an improbable and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/house-members-ask-leadership-swiftly-bring-stock-trading-ban-pelosi-2022-1">growing coalition</a> of federal lawmakers on the left — Democratic Rep. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ocasio-cortez-pelosi-no-reason-members-congress-trade-individual-stock-2021-12">Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez</a> and Sen. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elizabeth-warren-blasts-brazenness-of-lawmakers-who-flout-disclosure-law-2021-12">Elizabeth Warren</a> — and the right — House Minority Leader <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/kevin-mccarthy-considers-barring-lawmakers-trading-stocks-2022-1">Kevin McCarthy</a> and Sen. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/josh-hawley-jon-ossoff-introduce-dueling-stock-trading-bans-2022-1">John Hawley</a> — who've signaled their support for banning their colleagues from trading stocks. Sen. Sherrod Brown and Rep. Tim Ryan, both Ohio Democrats, as well as Ocasio-Cortez and Rep. Abigail Spanberger, a Virginia Democrat, have recently featured their support for congressional stock trade bans in their campaign fundraising messaging."Members of Congress have access to highly confidential information that the public does not," Ryan's campaign wrote in January. "But this is still legal thanks to politicians who only look out for their own bottom line." Democratic leaders must understand that they're at significant risk of losing majorities in the US House and US Senate during the 2022 midterms if they don't spearhead "common sense" efforts to bolster the public's trust in government, such as stock trade bans, Nelson said. That includes Speaker <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/we-are-free-market-economy-pelosi-rejects-stock-ban-congress-2021-12">Nancy Pelosi</a>, House Majority Leader <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/steny-hoyer-not-sure-necessary-ban-lawmakers-trading-stock-2022-1">Steny Hoyer</a>, and Senate Majority Leader <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/hakeem-jeffries-slams-kevin-mccarthy-wont-commit-stock-trading-ban-2022-1">Chuck Schumer</a>, he said.Pelosi's <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/we-are-free-market-economy-pelosi-rejects-stock-ban-congress-2021-12">endorsement</a> of lawmakers' right to trade individual stocks, followed recently by a reluctant <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/if-members-want-nancy-pelosi-reverses-on-stock-trade-ban-2022-1">course change</a>, is particularly vexing because it cuts against what most Democrats want Congress to do, Nelson added, citing <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/76-percent-disagree-with-pelosi-congress-unfair-advantage-stock-trading-2022-1">recent</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/67-percent-support-stock-trading-ban-congress-pelosi-data-progress-2022-1">polls</a>. It's also given fuel to <a href="https://www.npr.org/2021/09/21/1039313011/tiktokers-are-trading-stocks-by-watching-what-members-of-congress-do">TikTokkers</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/politicalstocks">Twitter</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/unusual_whales">accounts</a> that <a href="https://www.sfgate.com/national-politics/article/Nancy-Pelosi-viral-stock-trades-16826801.php">religiously track</a> and meme the speaker's trading. Comedians at <a href="https://www.theonion.com/nancy-pelosi-introduces-landmark-legislation-to-provide-1848393259">The Onion</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7Vyyc6YCKk">The Daily Show</a> have meanwhile made Pelosi a punchline. "Speaker Pelosi should be leading, Sen. Schumer should be leading. This is not only good policy, it's good politics," Nelson said. "But they're out of touch. And that's dangerous. It's dangerous because we're in a very challenging environment for Democrats, we're in the midterm, and our party is in power. There's very little room for error … This is a blunder."After weeks of silence on the matter, Schumer is now quietly asking Democratic colleagues to propose changes to the STOCK Act, Insider <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/senate-schumer-vote-banning-lawmakers-trading-stocks-ossoff-2022-2">reported</a> on February 4.<h2><div type="image" title="GOP Senate candidate Blake Masters chief operating officer of Thiel Capital and president of the Thiel Foundation." height="1333" width="2000" msid="89354962" hostid="261"></div></h2><h2>Republicans embrace a congressional stock ban</h2>Republican US Senate candidate Blake Masters in Arizona, for one, is already attempting to outflank Democrats by <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/media/arizona-senate-blake-masters-congress-stocks">embracing a stock ban.</a> He, too, has panned Pelosi — one of the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/wealthiest-members-congress-house-senate-finances-2021-12">wealthiest members of Congress</a> whose venture capitalist husband, Paul Pelosi, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/congress-holding-stocks-facebook-twitter-disney-fox-news-2021-12">frequently trades</a> stocks and stock options — as a poster politician for congressional corruption. Even former President Donald Trump, arguably <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/podcasts/can-he-do-that/do-president-trumps-business-conflicts-violate-the-constitution/">the</a> <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/andrewsolender/2020/09/24/watchdog-report-cites-3400-conflicts-of-interest-during-trump-presidency/?sh=6078e7a6226e">most</a> <a href="https://time.com/4578431/donald-trump-conflicts-of-interest-list/">financially</a> <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/tracking-trumps-web-of-conflicts/">conflicted</a> <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/trump-family-s-washington-hotel-one-worst-swamps-d-c-ncna1076836">president</a> in US history, has chimed in, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-says-nancy-pelosi-should-be-barred-trading-stocks-2022-1">saying in January</a> that members of Congress trading individual stocks is "not right … not appropriate."In Pelosi's own California congressional district, Democratic socialist <a href="https://theintercept.com/2020/07/08/an-interview-with-nancy-pelosi-challenger-shahid-buttar-and-a-look-at-the-history-of-fascist-movements-in-the-u-s/">Shahid Buttar</a> is hammering the House speaker on her stock ban reluctance as part of his longshot attempt to upend her in in the 2022 midterms.Democratic leaders' resistance to a congressional stock trade ban, Buttar told Insider, reveals their willingness to "prioritize capitalism over democracy. "That preference, and Pelosi's history of putting her stock portfolio before the public interest, violate the oath of office and demand accountability," he said.Both Buttar and Nelson said they're at least mildly encouraged that Pelosi, increasingly squeezed by both liberals and conservatives, said <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/if-members-want-nancy-pelosi-reverses-on-stock-trade-ban-2022-1">she won't block stock ban bills</a> from coursing through the legislative process.But it'll take all Democratic leaders offering wholehearted support of such a ban — up to and including Biden — to give left-of-center candidates across the country proper political cover during the 2022 midterms. "We can't have stupid decisions coming out of Washington if we want to win," Nelson said.

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