A push in the US Congress to bar lawmakers from trading individual stocks has suffered a setback after opponents attached a "poison pill" provision, an amendment designed to make the wider bill unworkable or unpalatable enough that it collapses rather than being enacted. The ban movement has drawn bipartisan support in recent years amid concerns that members of Congress can use privileged access to briefings and policy information to profit from stock trades, but it has repeatedly stalled despite public pressure and polling showing broad voter support for such a ban.

The full text of the article was not available beyond its headline and an unrelated list of other Daily Mail stories, so specific details of the amendment, who introduced it, or its exact legislative impact cannot be confirmed here. In general, "poison pill" tactics of this kind are used by opponents of a bill to bury it in unrelated or contentious add-ons, effectively killing its chances of passing while allowing those responsible to avoid being blamed directly for opposing the underlying reform.