An anti-corruption agenda for the new Congress

When the 120th Congress begins, Congress must prioritize an agenda that curbs the most dangerous forms of corruption and starts rebuilding the trust of the American people, according to a letter submitted by CREW, Common Cause and 23 other good government organizations, including National Association of Social Workers, End Citizens United and People For the American Way. 

Corruption is an existential threat to democracy. According to polling, corruption was the number one issue in the midterms, surpassing concerns about things like housing, the cost of food and groceries and immigration and border security. In addition, Americans see both political parties as corrupt and view corruption as infecting all three branches of government with significant majorities viewing Congress, the president, the Cabinet and the Supreme Court all as corrupt.

When the public no longer trusts the government, it creates a downward spiral of cynicism and apathy that makes people susceptible to authoritarian strongmen. Corruption also costs people directly—extractive tariffs, reckless abuse of public funds, mergers that drive up prices are all deepening the affordability crisis. Meanwhile, corruption creates national security vulnerabilities that make American diplomatic, trade and aid decisions susceptible to foreign adversaries. Given what is at stake, it is imperative for Congress to pursue an agenda that confronts corruption in government, specifically prioritizing the following six steps:

Conduct robust oversight

Congressional oversight of the Trump-Vance administration has been largely lacking. From companies backed by Trump’s sons receiving over $6 billion in defense contracts to corporations donating hundreds of millions of dollars to Trump’s ballroom project to curry favor with the government, corruption in the executive branch has been staggering. Congress must use all of the tools at its disposal to prioritize oversight of corruption and build the case for more muscular anti-corruption guardrails. And if necessary, Congress should use its investigative powers to compel information, not only from the executive branch, but from the corporations who have enabled this corruption by bankrolling his various vanity projects. The American public has a vested interest in understanding how corporations have enabled corruption under the Trump administration, and what those corporations may have gotten in exchange. Congress must not only expose corruption but also offer bold solutions to fix it so that the American public does not become even more disenchanted.

Ban congressional stock trading and prediction market betting

Congress must get its own house in order by passing a stock trading ban and prohibiting members and high-ranking staff from using their positions of public trust to make money by betting on prediction markets. Bipartisan majorities including 87% of Republicans, 88% of Democrats and 81% of independents support a congressional stock trading ban, such as the bipartisan Restore Trust in Congress Act. A similar approach needs to be taken with prediction markets. The House needs to follow the Senate’s lead and ban members and their staff who could have access to non-public information from placing prediction market bets.This harm is not theoretical—NPR reported that campaign staffers have made thousands by using tips about soon to be released polls to place bets on their own candidates. Additionally, the markets themselves must be prohibited from holding event contracts for war, terrorism or elections in the first place. Promptly passing these common sense reforms will show the American public that Congress is taking its concerns about corruption seriously.

Reverse the Supreme Court’s corruption jurisprudence

In a series of cases decided over the past 39 years, the Supreme Court has systematically gutted the country’s public corruption laws. The Court’s rulings have helped foster a culture of corruption and impunity among public office holders across the ideological spectrum. Congress must prioritize reversing this trend by passing legislation that rebuilds public trust and reverses the Court’s decisions in a series of cases including McDonnell v. United States, Snyder v. United States, United States v. Sun Diamond and Skillings v. United States. Luckily, legislative solutions have already been introduced in both houses of Congress to undo these disastrous decisions. Passing these legislative fixes is a necessary first step to ensuring we have meaningful anti-corruption laws on the books.

Ban presidential profiteering

President Trump has used the White House to get rich, reportedly earning over $2 billion in 2025 alone. But no president, regardless of political party, should be able to leverage the power of their office to get rich. Congress needs to respond by banning any current or future president from earning outside income while they are in office. Executive branch political appointees are already banned from earning outside income. Extending this prohibition to the president is both legal and necessary.

Anti-corruption enforcement

The Trump administration has systematically dismantled the anti-corruption investigative and prosecutorial apparatus at the federal level. That needs to be reversed. Congress should establish a dedicated anti-corruption agency, or agencies, for all three branches of government and should use its appropriations powers to ensure that these efforts are funded through non-discretionary sources and should, where appropriate, create causes of action that also allow for state attorney general enforcement.

End slush funds and personal payouts

The Trump administration has bypassed Congress and created slush funds throughout the government—from the Commerce Department to the Justice Department—to channel money however it chooses. These funds not only undermine Congress’s appropriations powers, but create unguarded pools of money that can be used for payouts to allies and cronies. Although the Trump administration’s attempt to create a $1.776 billion payout to January 6th insurrectionists was enjoined by the courts, the pattern continues, with Trump recently asserting direct personal control over a $25 million dollar “antifraud” fund. Congress must immediately pass guardrails to curb the use of slush funds and also make significant reforms to the federal government’s Judgment Fund that curb the ability to make unwarranted payouts including prohibiting payouts to the president, vice president, and their immediate family members while they are in office.

Corruption is a serious problem in the United States—but we have also seen globally how robust anti-corruption movements can help reinvigorate democracy. The 120th Congress must understand that addressing corruption is essential to preserving our democracy and should accordingly pursue effective anti-corruption measures with all due urgency.