Lawmakers, constituents call out Pa. congressman’s stock trading at town hall

US House Rep. Rob Bresnahan has made over 600 stock trades since taking office, angering many of his constituents and colleagues. 

Throughout the latter half of 2025, US Rep. Rob Bresnahan’s (R-Luzerne) congressional stock trading has become scandalous for the freshman lawmaker. If Saturday’s town hall in Scranton, hosted by a coalition of progressive organizations, was any indicator, it’ll continue to be a problem going into the 2026 midterm elections. 

“ I have to say I was really hoping your congressman would be here today, because I was looking for a good stock tip,” US House Rep. Brendan Boyle (D-Philadelphia) joked in front of Bresnahan’s constituents. “ The truth is I am a member of Congress who does not trade stocks. For a very good reason, I don’t have any money.”

Bresnahan has a net worth of roughly $50 million from inheriting his family’s construction company at a young age and selling it to a venture capital firm. He defeated Matt Cartwright in the 2024 election and quickly became one of Congress’ most prolific stock traders despite running on ending the practice.

Since taking office, the first-term lawmaker has made over 600 trades and was caught making trades around President Donald Trump’s tariff announcements in April and prior to voting for the president’s budget bill that cut Medicaid by $1 trillion. 

According to the New York Times, Bresnahan sold between $100,000 and $250,000 worth of bonds from the Allegheny County Hospital Development Authority for the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and $15,000 in Centene, the largest Medicaid plan provider in the country, before voting for Trump’s budget cuts.  

NBC News then reported that Bresnahan sold up to $130,000 in Medicaid-related stocks from Centene, Elevance Health, United Health, and CVS Health in May. 

Boyle, who supports a ban on Congressional stock trading, called Bresnahan’s trading record “obscene” during Saturday’s town hall. 

“ The idea that members of Congress, essentially the board of trustees for the nation should be then trading individual stocks, especially when they know how they’re going to vote and that vote might make the ultimate difference, that is really obscene,” Boyle said. 

Over 200 of Bresnahan’s constituents packed the Casey Ballroom inside a Hilton Hotel that featured US House Reps. Madeleine Dean (D-Montgomery), Jim McGovern (D-Massachusetts), and Pramila Jayapal (D-Washington) and was organized by the Progressive Caucus Action Fund, Action Together NEPA, and a number of unions and progressive organizations. 

Dave Kerr, a retiree living in the Wilkes Barre area, finds Bresnahan’s stock trading “repulvise” and “offensive” given how many are struggling in the district. 

Over 21,000 of Bresnahan’s constituents are expected to lose their Medicaid coverage, while another 11,000 are going to lose Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, when Trump’s budget cuts go into effect. 

“I think for our area in particular, as economic challenges exist for a majority of our population, the absolute grift of using stock trading to advance himself is – I find – repulsive. I think it’s offensive,” Kerr said in an interview. 

“[Bresnahan] refuses to answer questions in a town hall setting. To stand up for what he did with his stock trades. Is he choosing to ignore the stock trading bill that congress is trying to pass in order to prevent this kind of money grabbing? He won’t answer those questions. So I don’t know what he stands for.”