Insider trading occurs when someone uses privileged information to make purchases on the stock market. This privileged information allows the person participating in insider trading to know more about the future of a company and make incredible profits by taking actions which, to an observer without their information, seem to be sub-optimal.
Such practices are punishable by the seizure of any profits made, jail time, and massive fines.
Congress is exempt from these laws. This resulted in Congressman Bachus publicly trying to stop the economic collapse, while privately buying and selling stock based on it collapsing - an OBVIOUS conflict of interest.
Make Congress subject to the same insider trading laws as the rest of us! Encourage adoption of the STOCK Act by Congress!