Congressional stock trading is always a hot topic, but it gets extra scrutiny when a lawmaker's committee assignments overlap with their portfolio. That's exactly the situation with Rep. Richard McCormick (R-Ga.), who recently bought shares of defense contractor L3Harris Technologies while serving on committees that oversee defense and space.

According to a disclosure, McCormick made two purchases of L3Harris stock on June 12, each valued between $1,000 and $15,000. The trades were part of a broader set of transactions that included both buys and sells.

What makes this interesting is McCormick's committee roles: he sits on the House Armed Services Committee and the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology, as well as the Tactical Air and Land Forces subcommittee and the Space and Aeronautics subcommittee. L3Harris, for its part, is a major government supplier in aerospace, defense, and cybersecurity — exactly the kind of company that benefits from the budgets those committees influence.

The timing also stands out. The purchase came just days before President Donald Trump invoked the Defense Production Act to address constraints on weapons production. With Middle East tensions already elevated, defense stocks have been in focus.

This isn't McCormick's first rodeo with L3Harris. He sold shares in March and bought the stock back in 2025. Since 2023, he's made 98 trades totaling $264,000 in 2023, $415,000 in 2025, and $272,000 so far in 2026. Interestingly, 2026 is the first year he's made more sales than buys.

For retail investors, the takeaway isn't necessarily to follow McCormick's lead — but to pay attention. When a lawmaker with direct oversight of defense and space buys a contractor that serves both sectors, it's worth understanding why. Whether it's a bet on rising defense spending or just a routine portfolio move, the optics are hard to ignore.