Senate’s failure to advance the landmark CLARITY Act has triggered a sharp partisan blame game.
Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.) on Wednesday accused Democrats of repeatedly shifting their demands while Democratic senators argued the bill still fell short on ethics and national-security safeguards.
The final CLARITY Act text included 126 Democratic-requested changes, including expanded ethics provisions.
Sen. Thom Tillis (R-SC) switched from yes to no on the procedural vote, preserving the option for reconsideration, as four Republicans joined Democrats in blocking advancement.
Tillis stressed the bill is “not the end,” citing substantial bipartisan progress and saying negotiations can continue toward a compromise.
Why Lummis Blames Democrats
Lummis issued a blistering response after the vote, arguing Democrats were “never truly serious” about reaching a deal.
“For over a year, they presented demands and the second we met them, they made new demands and moved the goal posts,” Lummis said.
She argued that the final legislation would have imposed restrictions on politicians’ personal crypto investments, strengthened consumer protections against fraud and helped preserve U.S. competitiveness in digital assets.
Lummis ultimately accused Democrats of choosing “politics over the American people.”
Democrats Say Ethics Guardrails Fell Short
Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) and Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) opposed advancing the CLARITY Act, arguing its ethics rules did not go far enough and are “simply too thin” to prevent the president and other federal officials from profiting from crypto ventures.
“I cannot support legislation that falls short of that goal,” Bennet said.
Slotkin also called for stronger safeguards against money laundering and crypto financing tied to terrorist groups and sanctioned countries.
She questioned whether regulators have enough resources to oversee the proposed framework.
However, Slotkin said the bill contains “strong, bipartisan provisions” that could serve as a foundation for future crypto legislation.
Lawmakers could return to negotiations and try another procedural vote, but key disagreements remain unresolved.
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