Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., speaks to reporters outside the Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on “Low-Cost Munitions” at the Dirksen Building on Tuesday, March 24, 2026.
Tom Williams | CQ-Roll Call, Inc. | getty images
Members of Congress would be permanently banned from becoming lobbyists after leaving office under a new bipartisan bill first reported by CNBC.
The legislation would not only prohibit senators and U.S. House members from being registered lobbyists, but would also prevent them from being compensated by companies or groups to try to influence lawmakers and staff — closing a loophole that would allow former lawmakers to lobby without being registered lobbyists.
The effort, from Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla. and Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., come at a time when a growing number of lawmakers are speaking out against profiting from their elected positions. Several bipartisan bills have been introduced in this Congress to ban members from doing things like owning and trading stocks, or banning themselves from betting on prediction markets.
Senator Elizabeth Warren, Democrat from Massachusetts and ranking member of the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, during a hearing in Washington, DC, US, on Tuesday, April 21, 2026.
Graeme Sloane Bloomberg | getty images
The new bill, which is unlikely to become law, would have fined violators up to $50,000 per violation or up to five years in prison.
“Trust in our institutions is at an all-time low, and the revolving door between Capitol Hill and K Street is a big part of that,” Scott said in a statement to CNBC. “We need to restore the American people’s trust in our government, and that’s why I’m proud to introduce this bipartisan bill to put the government clearly back on the side of the people.”