Hawley Defends Stock Trading Bill Against Trump's Scathing Critique, Seeks Presidential Endorsement Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) found himself in the eye of a political storm today, defending his proposed legislation to ban stock trading by elected officials against a sharp rebuke from President Donald Trump.

GOP senators sparred with fellow Republican Josh Hawley on Wednesday over a Hawley-authored bill that would ban trading and ownership of stocks and certain other assets by lawmakers, the president and vice president and their spouses and dependent children.

Republican Sen. Josh Hawley engaged in a fiery debate with members of his own party before joining Democrats on the Senate Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs Committee Wednesday to advance a bill that would ban members of Congress or their spouses from trading or holding individual stocks.

Missouri Republican Sen. Josh Hawley voted with Democrats Wednesday to advance his bill to ban US lawmakers from stock trading, over the opposition of other Republicans on the panel and drawing the ire of President Donald Trump.

Senators fiercely debate a bill to ban lawmakers from trading stocks, with one senator calling it "legislative demagoguery."

Sen. Josh Hawley's Honest Act banning stock trades by Congress members and the top executive branch offices advanced through committee despite Republican criticism and intraparty tensions.

A key Senate committee voted to proceed with a bill that would prohibit members of Congress, the president and vice president from trading or owning stocks, going against the White House, which lobbied against the legislation when the executive branch was added.