If you're keeping score at home, there are 535 members of Congress. And according to Senator Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), exactly one of them doesn't trade stocks, doesn't accept corporate PAC money, and publishes their schedule for the public to see. That person is Mark Kelly. And he'd really like that to change.

A Lone Voice for Transparency

On Tuesday, Kelly took to X to highlight what he sees as a pretty glaring problem. "There's only 1 person in Congress who doesn't trade stocks, doesn't take corporate PAC money, and has a public schedule. That's me. And it should be the standard," he wrote, alongside a video making his case.

In the clip, he breaks it down further: "Out of 535 members of Congress in both the House and the Senate, there's only one person who doesn't trade stocks, doesn't take corporate pack money, and has a public schedule. And that's me."

He continued, "Those all seem like pretty basic things that are good for the integrity of our government. But they're not required, and I'm trying to change that."

Kelly's pitch is straightforward. These practices aren't about virtue signaling—they're about trust. "I do it because Americans deserve leaders they can trust are doing what's best for our country. Not for big corporations or their own bank accounts," he said.

Kelly Faces Pentagon Censure Fight

Kelly's transparency push comes as he battles a different fight entirely. Earlier this month, a federal judge expressed skepticism about the Pentagon's effort to punish Kelly for urging troops to refuse unlawful orders. The senator is suing to block both a censure and a retirement demotion.

The controversy stems from a November video where Kelly and other Democratic lawmakers encouraged service members to refuse illegal orders. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth argued that military retirees remain subject to military discipline, but the judge noted there's no real precedent for such restrictions.

Kelly called the Pentagon's move "unprecedented" and warned it could have implications for all retired service members. After the hearing, he posted on X that the case wasn't just about his constitutional rights, but those of millions of veterans and Americans.

Congressional Stock Trading Remains a Hot Topic

Kelly's timing is interesting, because congressional stock trading continues to be a lightning rod. In 2025, several members of Congress managed to outperform the S&P 500 through their stock trades, catching the attention of analysts and retail investors alike.

The S&P 500 gained 16.6% over the period, while top lawmakers posted higher returns. Republicans averaged 17.3% and Democrats averaged 14.4%.

Leading the pack were Rep. Warren Davidson (R-Ohio) with a stunning +78.8%, Rep. Donald Norcross (D-N.J.) at +70.8%, and Rep. Terri Sewell (D-Ala.) at +67.9%. The top performers list included two senators and seven representatives—four Democrats and five Republicans.

Interestingly, none of the 2025 top performers made the 2024 top 10. Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), often spotlighted for her trading activity, ranked 28th with a 20.1% return. Former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) came in 38th with 11.7%.

Whether Kelly's push for transparency gains traction remains to be seen. But his argument is simple: if you're making laws that affect markets, maybe you shouldn't be playing in those markets yourself.