In response to Senate Republicans voting against a bill to ban stock trading by members of Congress, presidents, and vice presidents, DNC Rapid Response Director Kendall Witmer released the following statement:

“While working families are drowning in high costs, Senate Republicans are singularly focused on making sure they can keep lining their pockets to the tune of millions of dollars. The GOP ran on ‘draining the swamp’ and ending corruption in D.C., only to keep their grifts going. They don’t give a rat’s ass about their constituents’ pocketbooks — as long as their investment portfolios keep growing.” 

NEW: Senate Republicans voted against a ban on stock trading for members of Congress, presidents, and vice presidents. 

Igor Bobic, Huffington Post: “8-7, Senate Homeland Security Committee advances legislation banning members of Congress, the president, and the vice president from trading stocks 

“Hawley was the lone GOP yes vote”

Trump said he would “absolutely” sign a ban on trading — up until one of his Republican lackeys warned him that the ban included the executive branch — and now the White House is lobbying against the bill. 

THEN: TIME: “[Reporter:] Would you support a ban on congressional stock trading? … 

“[Donald Trump:] I would be okay with it. If they send that to me, I would do it. 

“[Reporter:] You’ll sign it?

“[Trump:] Absolutely.”

NOW: Punchbowl News: “White House lobbies against stock trading ban” 

“The White House is lobbying Republican senators to vote down a bill that would put new restrictions on the trading of stocks by members of Congress, the president and the vice president. … 

“The view from 1600 Penn: The White House doesn’t specifically object to a stock trading ban for members of Congress. But they are opposed to the ban for the executive branch, an administration source told us.”

Andrew Desiderio, Punchbowl News: “It was Sen. Rick Scott who first alerted the White House about the stock ban bill, making a similar argument as he did today in cmte: That the bill targets Trump”

Senator Rick Scott: “Does anyone want to be poor? I don’t … I think it’s disgusting what is going on here. … This is an attack against the president, and an attack against the vice president.” 

After the bill passed out of committee, Trump threw a temper tantrum on social media, attacking the one Republican senator who did vote for the ban. 

Trump: “[Democrats are] using Josh Hawley, who I got elected TWICE, as a pawn to help them. I wonder why Hawley would pass a Bill that Nancy Pelosi is in absolute love with — He is playing right into the dirty hands of the Democrats. It’s a great Bill for her, and her ‘husband,’ but so bad for our Country! I don’t think real Republicans want to see their President, who has had unprecedented success, TARGETED, because of the ‘whims’ of a second-tier Senator named Josh Hawley!”