The US Senate on Wednesday blocked a Republican bill restricting stock trading by members of Congress, after Democrats refused to advance a measure they said would let lawmakers keep their portfolios and was bundled with voter ID rules they called a “poison pill”.

The bill would bar members of Congress, their spouses and their dependent children from buying individual stocks. Democrats said that falls short of a ban because lawmakers could keep everything they already own, reinvest dividends into more shares and let a spouse or child trade on their behalf.

Several also wanted the rules extended to the president and other White House officials, while others objected to the photo ID requirements for voting, which they said would make it harder for eligible citizens to cast ballots.

This is how you act like you care about an issue very publicly, while ensuring the idea dies. Unrelated poison pills in things people want.

It also gives you ammunition against your opponent going against something that looks fine on the surface.