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Video: The movement to ban congressional stock trading

The Movement to Ban Congressional Stock Trading with Rep. Abigail Spanberger and Rep. Chip Roy

Issue One, National Taxpayers Union (NTU), and the Project On Government Oversight (POGO) hosted a conversation with Representatives Abigail Spanberger (D-VA) and Chip Roy (R-TX) — as well as former Representatives Brian Baird (D-WA) and Zach Wamp (R-TN) — about the movement to ban congressional stock trading that is making headlines and generating bipartisan support across the country. The discussion examined why an overwhelming majority of Americans support prohibiting members of Congress, their spouses, and their children from buying and selling stocks while in office, and what Congress can do to address this issue.

The conversation was moderated by Warren Rojas from Business Insider, and was followed by a Q&A with Dylan Hedtler-Gaudette of POGO, Andrew Lautz from NTU, and Camila DeChalus of Business Insider.


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Six Undeclared Wars Reveal Fatal Costs and Failed Oversight
grayscale photo of man in black jacket and pants holding rifle

Six Undeclared Wars Reveal Fatal Costs and Failed Oversight

In America’s 250-year history, only five wars were formally declared by Congress as required by Article I of the U.S. Constitution. They and the respective presidents were: the War of 1812 (James Madison), the Mexican-American War (James Polk), the Spanish-American War (William McKinley), World War I (Woodrow Wilson), and World War II (Franklin D. Roosevelt).

Many Americans may not fully comprehend the magnitude of military casualties, exceedingly high financial costs, and public opposition to the six most recent wars (1950-present) that were not completely authorized by Congress.

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The Enduring Illusion of Article the first
a large white building with a flag on top of it

The Enduring Illusion of Article the first

This is the third and final installment of our series on “Article the first.” Previous parts examined the history of the single inverted word that turned an intended floor into a ceiling and its impact on the amendment’s failed ratification. This concluding part outlines the path forward for enlarging the House today.

Part 3 — The Path Forward

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The Enduring Illusion of Article the first

Painting from 1856 by Junius Brutus Stearns of George Washington at the Constitutional Convention of 1787.

The Enduring Illusion of Article the first

This is the second of a three-part series on the First Amendment proposed by Congress in 1789—often called “Article the first”—which was never ratified. Part 1 explained how a single inverted word in the text created a mathematical absurdity that has been misread for 237 years. This second part explores the untold history of how that defect affected the original ratification process in state legislatures.

Part 2 — The Untold History

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Bill of Rights
Happy 230th birthday, Bill of Rights
leezsnow/Getty Images

The Enduring Illusion of Article the first

This is the first of three parts exploring “Article the First,” the forgotten proposal in the original Bill of Rights. For 237 years, a single, inverted word has created a “semantic illusion,” leading historians and policymakers to misread the founders' intended guarantee of a growing House as a ceiling. This series uncovers the error, tracks its consequences, and explores why reclaiming the founders’ original vision is the path to meaningful representation reform.

Part 1 — The Inverted Word

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