Quick Breakdown
- The Senate Agriculture Committee advanced its CLARITY Act draft in a narrow 12–11 vote.
- All proposed ethics amendments were rejected along party lines.
- The bill’s fate now hinges on pending action in the Senate Banking Committee.
The U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee has narrowly voted to advance its version of the long-awaited CLARITY Act, moving the crypto market structure bill one step closer to a full Senate debate despite sharp partisan divisions and failed ethics amendments.
🚨HAPPENING NOW: The @SenateAg Committee is convening to mark up its portion of the CLARITY Act, with Chairman @JohnBoozman kicking off proceedings. He says the markup is the culmination of months of bipartisan work and that while conversations were cordial and substantive,… pic.twitter.com/BgDDu0JlkM
— Eleanor Terrett (@EleanorTerrett) January 29, 2026
The committee approved the bill in a 12–11 party-line vote following a markup session that lasted just over an hour. While the decision marks a procedural breakthrough, it also underscores lingering disagreements that could complicate the bill’s path through the Senate.
Democrats push ethics rules as amendments fail
Throughout the markup, Democratic lawmakers pressed for stronger ethics provisions and broader bipartisan engagement. Senator Cory Booker warned against crafting rules that could unintentionally criminalize software development, stressing that self-custody and open-source code must remain protected in any workable crypto framework.
Booker also criticized the draft for straying from a bipartisan version previously negotiated with Committee Chairman John Boozman late last year, pointing to political pressure and White House involvement as factors that derailed earlier talks.
Several ethics-focused amendments were rejected. A proposal from Senator Michael Bennet to bar elected officials from owning or profiting from digital assets while in office failed by a narrow 12–11 vote. Another amendment, introduced by Senator Dick Durbin, sought to block federal financial assistance to bankrupt crypto intermediaries but was also voted down, with Boozman arguing the bill does not authorize bailouts in the first place.
Bill seeks clear SEC–CFTC divide as the Senate process continues
The CLARITY Act aims to move U.S. crypto oversight away from an enforcement-first approach by establishing clearer statutory rules. Supporters say the bill would clarify regulatory responsibilities, introduce registration requirements for intermediaries, and strengthen consumer protections, including asset segregation and disclosure standards.
However, the Senate Banking Committee, whose approval is also required, has yet to finalize its own version. Earlier markup plans were delayed amid internal disagreements and industry pushback, particularly over provisions seen as limiting yield on payment stablecoins.
Once both Senate committees align their texts, the legislation could head to the Senate floor. If the Senate version differs from the bill passed by the House in July 2025, a conference committee would be needed to reconcile differences before a final vote and potential presidential action.
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