Senator Cynthia Lummis, a member of the Senate Banking Committee and a keen supporter of digital asset innovation, says that some Democrats simply won’t support the CLARITY Act no matter what.
The CLARITY Act is scheduled for a cloture vote tomorrow (Tuesday, September 14, 2026) in the afternoon to advance the bill in the full Senate. Today, Semafor reported that Democrat Senator Mark Warner sees that the updated ethics language added to the bill to assuage Democrat concerns falls short.
“There’s been some movement. I don’t think the ethics provision is near enough. And again, it’s frustrating because we’ve had these same three issues outstanding for six, eight weeks, and why this couldn’t have been dealt with earlier? I’m really concerned.”
Warner’s statement, from a Democrat who should be supporting US-based innovation, is emblematic of the partisan politics at play with the legislation. The new language includes sections that bar public officials, including the President, from issuing or sponsoring digital assets, or holding significant interests ($15,000 or more). Any held assets must be placed in a blind trust or divested. The effort at compromise represented a significant concession to Democrat concerns, but now it appears negotiations may not have been in good faith
Senator Lummis posted:
“It’s becoming clear that some Democrats simply won’t get to yes, no matter what we put in the text. President Trump has now agreed to two historic ethics provisions — provisions these very members demanded. We’ve given you everything you’ve asked for, yet you keep holding the bill hostage, demanding more and more and more. It’s beyond frustrating. There’s nothing left to give.”
Still, supporters could rally sufficient Democrat support to take the legislation to the next step. The global digital asset industry will be watching tomorrow to see whether the US is poised to lead or parochial politics will undermine a potentially strategic victory for an innovative industry.
