Between July 8 and July 14, 2026, U.S. lawmakers disclosed more than a dozen stock transactions across both chambers, including a Rick Larsen purchase of Amphenol (APH), an Abbott Laboratories (ABT) sell, and a McKesson (MCK) buy — each filed within five days. STOCK Act disclosures report value ranges, not exact dollar amounts, so the filings show real trading activity without a precise aggregate total.
The Transaction That Hit the Disclosure Portal This Week
Rick Larsen (D-WA) bought APH on July 8, 2026 and filed the Periodic Transaction Report (PTR) on July 13, 2026 — a 5-day filing delay, amount range $1,001–$15,000. On the same trade date, Larsen sold ABT and bought MCK in separately disclosed transactions, each filed July 13, 2026 with the same $1,001–$15,000 range.
- Per the STOCK Act of 2012, members must file PTRs within 45 days of trade execution; Larsen filed in 5 days, well inside the statutory window.
Where the Filings Actually Live — And How to Read Them
Official House and Senate disclosure portals list standardized transaction details for members, though exact share counts and dollar values remain hidden. — Photo by StockRadars Co., on Pexels
House members file through the Clerk of the House Public Disclosure portal at disclosures-clerk.house.gov, which is the official public source for financial disclosure forms. Senate members file through the Senate eFD system at efdsearch.senate.gov, which requires users to agree to disclosure-use restrictions before search results render.
- Both portals list transactions in standardized format: trade date, ticker, asset type, amount range bracketed by law, and filing date — but neither shows the exact share count or total dollar value.
Why the Dollar Ranges Matter More Than Any Single Total
Weekly congressional trading totals depend on assumptions about where within each disclosed range the real trade value actually fell. — Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko on Pexels
Each of Larsen's three transactions this week was reported in the same $1,001–$15,000 bracket, the lowest of the STOCK Act's disclosure tiers. A trade reported in that bracket could be anywhere from just over one thousand dollars to fifteen thousand — the law doesn't require (or allow) a more precise figure.
- Any site that reports an exact aggregate dollar total for a week of congressional trading is computing it from assumptions about where in each range the real trade fell — that math is rarely shown, and different trackers use different assumptions, so totals from different sources will disagree.
What Members Are Required to Disclose — and What They Aren't
Congressional ethics rules require disclosure of the trade itself, not the reasoning behind it. Larsen's filing does not state a motive, and none is required under the STOCK Act. Committee membership alone is a matter of public record, not evidence of any connection to a specific trade — drawing that link requires more than an overlapping committee assignment.
- The STOCK Act bans trading on material non-public information obtained through official duties; it does not restrict which sectors a member may trade in based on committee assignment.
What to Watch in the Next Disclosure Window
House PTRs filed between July 15 and July 31, 2026 will cover trades executed as far back as mid-June under the 45-day STOCK Act window. Both the House Clerk and Senate eFD portals update on a rolling basis as new filings are processed.
- Filter tools on third-party trackers (QuiverQuant, CapitolTrades, and others) let users isolate new filings by chamber, party, amount range, and buy/sell direction — useful for finding new disclosures, not for computing exact dollar totals the underlying filings don't contain.
FAQ
What is the STOCK Act and what does it require members to disclose?
The Stock Trading on Congressional Knowledge Act, passed in 2012, requires U.S. Senators, Representatives, and senior staff to disclose any stock, bond, or qualifying financial transaction within 45 days of execution. Disclosures go to either the Clerk of the House or the Senate Secretary's office depending on chamber. Amounts are reported in bracketed ranges, not exact figures, which is why filings show $1,001–$15,000 rather than precise dollar amounts.
How long does it take for a congressional trade to become public after execution?
The law allows up to 45 days between trade and filing. Trades do not appear on the public portals until the disclosure is processed by the Clerk or Senate eFD, which typically adds a short additional delay after the filing is submitted. Individual members' actual filing speed varies — Larsen's July 8 trades were filed within 5 days, well inside the statutory window.
Are stock trades by sitting members of Congress legal?
Yes, under current law members can buy and sell individual stocks. The STOCK Act bans the use of non-public information derived from official duties for personal profit, but enforcement rests with the House Ethics Committee and the Senate Select Committee on Ethics. Insider-trading charges under existing securities law also apply if non-public material information is used.
Why do congressional trade totals reported by different sites often disagree?
Because the underlying filings report ranges, not exact amounts. Any weekly or aggregate dollar total is necessarily an estimate built on an assumption — using the range minimum, the midpoint, or the maximum — and different trackers make different assumptions. A total presented without its methodology should be read as a rough estimate, not a precise figure.
Can individual investors legally copy congressional stock trades?
There is no law against mirroring disclosed trades once they are public, and several retail platforms have launched copy-trade features tied to well-known lawmakers' portfolios. The legal risk falls on the member, not the copier, provided the disclosure was timely. Whether following any specific portfolio outperforms the market varies by tracker and time period, and past results do not predict future returns.
What is the difference between a House PTR and a Senate financial disclosure?
A Periodic Transaction Report (PTR) covers individual trades and must be filed within 45 days under the STOCK Act. An annual financial disclosure is broader, covering assets, income, liabilities, and spousal holdings, and is filed once per year. PTRs are the primary source for week-to-week trade tracking because they post more frequently than the annual forms.