Curbing Lawmaker Stock Trades Gets Nod From White House Aide (1)

White House National Economic Council Director Brian Deese said extending a “sensible” ban on stock trading for government officials to members of Congress could help restore trust in the political process.

“I can tell you the restrictions on the executive branch are quite significant,” Deese said Friday on CNBC. “There’s no engagement on individual stock transactions, and in fact, more so, beyond holding broad market indices.”

Brian Deese

Photographer: Samuel Corum/Bloomberg

“And I think that that’s certainly sensible,” he added.

Deese was responding to a question about efforts in Congress to bar lawmakers from trading individual stocks.

His comments put him at odds with ...