CLARITY Act gets White House push before Sept. 15 vote

White House crypto adviser Patrick Witt said on Aug. 11 that the Trump administration remains committed to getting the CLARITY Act through Congress in September.

Summary

• White House adviser Patrick Witt says the administration remains committed to passing CLARITY in September.
• Senate leaders scheduled a September 15 cloture vote requiring 60 senators to advance the bill.
• Ethics rules, stablecoin rewards and money laundering safeguards remain unresolved before senators return to Washington.
• SEC commissioners will meet August 14 to consider proposing tailored crypto asset offering rules publicly.
• House lawmakers passed CLARITY 294 to 134 in July 2025, including support from 78 Democrats.

In a post, Witt said the administration is "fully committed to getting the Clarity Act across the finish line in September." His statement came after Senate Majority Leader John Thune filed cloture on the motion to proceed to H.R. 3633.

Witt said negotiations with Democrats would continue through the vote. He also blamed Democratic delays for leaving the U.S. behind in digital assets and weakening efforts against crypto crime. That is the administration's position, rather than a settled account of why the bill stalled. A Reuters report found that some Republicans also have concerns involving stablecoin rewards, community bank deposits and money laundering protections.

CLARITY Act now faces a Sept. 15 procedural test

The Senate Daily Press schedule says lawmakers return for regular business on Sept. 14. The cloture motion covering H.R. 3633 will then ripen at 2:15 p.m. ET on Sept. 15. The vote concerns whether the Senate proceeds with consideration of the legislation. It is not a final passage vote.

The measure needs 60 votes to clear the cloture threshold. As crypto.news reported in earlier September vote coverage, the legislation has previously attracted bipartisan backing but does not yet have a confirmed 60 vote floor coalition. The House passed H.R. 3633 by 294 to 134 in July 2025, while the Senate Banking Committee advanced its version 15 to 9 in May.

The additional negotiating period has not resolved the bill's main disputes. Democrats have sought stronger enforcement of ethics restrictions covering government officials with crypto business interests. Some Republicans have also pushed for stronger money laundering protections and safeguards against deposit losses at community banks, according to Reuters.

Stablecoin rewards remain another dividing line. Banks argue that rewards offered by crypto platforms could pull deposits away from lenders, while crypto companies say broader restrictions would reduce competition. In earlier ethics provision coverage, the proposed compromise restricted digital asset activity by federal officials, but its enforcement structure remained a source of Democratic opposition.

Witt said White House negotiations would continue "all the way up until the September vote." The statement confirms that the administration has not abandoned the bill, but it does not establish that enough senators have agreed to advance it.

SEC moves on crypto rules while Congress waits

The SEC has meanwhile scheduled an open meeting for Aug. 14 at 10 a.m. ET. Its agenda says commissioners will consider whether to propose new rules creating a tailored offering regime for certain investment contracts involving crypto assets.

The timing places SEC rulemaking on a parallel track with the congressional debate. However, the agency's notice does not state that the meeting was called because of the Senate delay. The contemplated SEC rules are also narrower than the wider market structure framework Congress is considering, which would allocate digital asset responsibilities between the SEC and CFTC.

What happens next

Sept. 15 is now the next fixed legislative test. If cloture succeeds, senators can proceed to consideration, debate and possible amendments before a separate final vote. If the Senate changes the House passed legislation, the revised measure would also have to clear the House before reaching President Donald Trump.

A failed cloture vote would leave a much narrower path for passage this year. Reuters reported that the Senate faces limited working time before the November midterm elections, raising the pressure for negotiations during the recess. For now, Witt's pledge confirms continued White House support, while the required 60 vote coalition remains unconfirmed.

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