Aiming to restore voters#39; faith in Congress, the Senate overwhelmingly approved a bill Thursday that makes clear it#39;s illegal for members of Congress, their staffs and many executive-branch employees to trade stocks and other securities based on inside information learned on the job.

The bill makes clear it#39;s illegal for lawmakers, their staffs and many executive-branch employees to trade stocks based on inside information learned on the job.

The US Senate approves a bill aimed at banning members of Congress from profiting from stock trades made with specialised insider knowledge.

Sagging approval ratings brought Democrats and Republicans together Thursday, as the Senate passed a bill to explicitly prevent members of Congress, their top aides and administration officials from using non-public information for insider trading. New disclosure requirements will require public reports online within 30 days of buying and selling stock.

Senate leadership are hoping to have lawmakers begin vote on amendments Thursday to legislation seeking to curtail insider trading of securities by lawmakers, though many of the measures under consideration are controversial and could bog down final passage of the bill.