Newsletter: Rewriting the Muscle Memory of Washington
Rewriting the Muscle Memory of Washington
Restoring trust in our institutions starts with leading by example, and last week, Congress took a critical step towards fixing bad habits. This system of waste, lack of accountability, and profit over people has gone on for far too long. Last week, the Stop Insider Trading Act (H.R. 7008), of which I was an original cosponsor, passed through the House Administration Committee. This bill bans Members, their spouses, and their dependent children from purchasing securities issued by a publicly traded company and requires prior public notice for any stock purchases. It’s time to get this bill across the finish line and signed into law.
While this is a good start, we still have much work to do in reforming our government institutions in order to better serve our constituencies. In Washington, I continue to introduce legislation that would help rewrite our muscle memory. These include:
- Federal Agency Sunset Commission Act of 2025, to develop a formal process for reviewing the efficiency of federal agencies and their dissolution
- Cost Estimates Improvement Act, to improve how Congress estimates the cost of new legislation to include debt consideration
- DIVEST Act, to prohibit senior federal government employees from trading individual stocks
Clintons in Contempt of Congress
Both Bill and Hillary Clinton failed to appear for their scheduled depositions last week before the House Oversight Committee despite being lawfully subpoenaed as part of a bipartisan investigation of the Epstein files. These depositions were approved through regular committee procedure by both Republicans and Democrats. Oversight is a core responsibility of Congress, and we will continue to press for transparency and accountability at every level.
Today, the Oversight Committee — of which I am a member — proceeded with a vote to hold the Clintons in Contempt of Congress. The American people want to get to the bottom of this investigation, and the bipartisan Oversight Committee will continue to seek the truth wherever it may be found.
See more on the Oversight Committee’s Investigation above
Fighting for Long-Term Border Reform
It is undeniable that President Trump has done a tremendous job securing our border, but Congress still has a lot of work to do to ensure it remains secure. Our border security and immigration policy should not be left victim to whether or not a new Presidential Administration would like to enforce the laws. In 2026, Congress must prioritize closing the loopholes and outdated processes that left our immigration system crippled during the Biden Administration. I’m pushing legislation that removes the magnets that incentivize illegal immigration—things like requiring Congressional approval for Temporary Protected Status designations, ending the visa lottery, taxing remittances, and fighting chain migration.
I’m also pushing for Congressional leadership to pass the Secure the Border Act which would permanently codify the Trump Administration’s border policies. Nearly every House Republican voted to pass this bill in the 118th Congress, and we must make this critical piece of legislation a priority in the second half of the 119th Congress.
In the Media
Newsmax: Rep. Cloud Talks Holding the Clinton’s Accountable in the Epstein Investigation
God Bless,
Michael Cloud
Member of Congress