I want to be clear on this. We do want our lawmakers to be able to trade stocks. Lawmakers should be able to invest in the country they claim to serve.

What we don't want is for them to trade stocks in a free and opaque manner. Lawmakers should ideally follow the rules of Silicon Valley where all trades must be irrevocably begun 6-18 months in advance with full public disclosure. That way, insider information can't realistically be used well. Furthermore, these rules should apply to each member of the lawmaker's immediate family.