The CLARITY Act vote has been pushed to September after Senate Democrats withheld the consent needed to bring it to the floor before the August recess. 

Majority Leader John Thune confirmed the digital asset framework will now wait until lawmakers return.

Why the CLARITY Act Stalled

The Digital Asset Market Clarity Act, formally H.R. 3633, would split crypto oversight between two regulators. The bill needs 60 votes to clear the Senate. 

Republican leaders needed all 100 senators to sign a time agreement covering their pre-recess agenda, which would have made room for the bill. Democrats declined, insisting that crypto negotiations continue first.

Thune said the opposing party made its position clear.

“The Dems insisted on no Clarity vote. We’re getting that queued up first thing [when] we come back in September,” he said.

Thune may still file cloture, the procedural step that sets up a vote. Even so, the measure is likely to wait until lawmakers return next month, POLITICO reported, citing two people with knowledge of the matter.

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Ethics Fight Remains the Sticking Point

The ethics language continues to divide the two sides. Democrats want tighter limits on federal officials tied to digital asset businesses. Trump family crypto ventures sit at the center of that push.

Seven Senate Democrats already pushed back against an earlier draft in July. According to POLITICO, a bipartisan counteroffer would force Trump and other officials to divest. It applies when a stake exceeds $1 million and represents 10% or more of a company’s value.

Meanwhile, market sentiment has cooled alongside the delay. Polymarket contracts on a 2026 signing trade near 15%, down from more than 70% in early May, across $5.16 million in volume.

History offers a counterweight. The GENIUS Act lost its first cloture vote before passing weeks later. A blocked bill in September need not mark the end.

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Source: BeInCrypto