Senate Banking Committee Advances CLARITY Act in 15-9 Vote, Setting Up Historic Floor Showdown
The US Senate Banking Committee voted 15-9 on Thursday to advance the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act, clearing the most significant procedural hurdle yet for comprehensive crypto market structure legislation and setting up a full Senate floor vote in the coming weeks. All 13 Republican members of the committee were joined by Democrats Ruben Gallego and Angela Alsobrooks in voting to send the bill forward, while nine Democrats voted against. The markup followed more than 100 amendments filed by senators on both sides of the aisle in the days leading up to the vote, with Ranking Member Elizabeth Warren alone filing over 40. Committee Chair Tim Scott opened the session by framing the bill as focused on consumer protection, keeping crypto innovation onshore, and safeguarding US national security interests in digital assets. Warren countered that the legislation was “written by the crypto industry for the crypto industry” and accused Republicans of moving to “grease the skids” for President Donald Trump‘s crypto-related business interests. “Nothing made it into this bill that wasn’t approved by the crypto industry,” Warren said. Senator Cynthia Lummis, a leading Republican advocate for the legislation, pushed back, describing CLARITY as a “pro law enforcement” and “pro consumer” framework. Democratic Senator