"I want to do my job as ethically and impartially as I can," said AOC,
who added that as a member of the House of Representatives’ Financial
Services Committee she has chosen not to hold stocks or investments,
including digital assets.
Democratic lawmaker Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said Monday that she
avoids any and all investments which could potentially represent a
conflict of interest, including crypto — and believes her fellow
lawmakers should do the same.
She explained that as a member of
the House of Representatives’ Financial Services Committee, she felt it
was inappropriate for her to hold Bitcoin (BTC) or other digital assets because lawmakers have access to “sensitive information and upcoming policy.”
"I
do not believe members of Congress should hold/trade individual stock
and I choose not to hold any so I can remain impartial about policy
making," said AOC. "I also extend that to digital assets/currencies
[...] I want to do my job as ethically and impartially as I can."
AOC,
a progressive lawmaker who has served in the United States government
since 2019, has advocated for wealthy individuals to pay more in federal
taxes, spoken out on sexism in Congress and called for the cancellation
of student loan debt. She is also a member of a group of six House
members known colloquially as ‘The Squad’.
Though members of
Congress are permitted to buy, sell and trade stocks and other
investments while in office, they are also bound by the Stop Trading on
Congressional Knowledge Act, or STOCK Act, passed in 2012, which
requires them to report any purchase, sale or exchange over $1,000
within 30 to 45 days. However, many federal judges and lawmakers have reportedly flouted the law by not disclosing certain investments.
In
the case of crypto in the hands of congressional members, it would seem
to be an option to track investments using a public blockchain
database, so both House and Senate leadership could avoid placing
lawmakers in a position where they would be determining policy on crypto
and blockchain if viewed as a conflict of interest. Senator Cynthia
Lummis reported buying BTC
worth between $50,001 and $100,000 in August. Even though Senator
Lummis was openly pro-crypto before being sworn into office, she still
served on the Senate Banking Committee.
source link : https://cointelegraph.com/news/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-says-us-lawmakers-shouldn-t-hold-crypto-to-remain-impartial
