Senate Punts Clarity Act Vote to September as Democrats Hold Out

In brief

• The Senate leaves for a month-long recess without holding a procedural vote on the Clarity Act.
• Republicans need roughly six Democratic crossovers to clear the 60-vote threshold.
• If it passes the Senate, the bill returns to the House before it can reach Trump's desk.

The U.S. Senate will not vote on the Clarity Act before its August recess, pushing the crypto market structure bill to September and into the closing weeks before midterm campaigning consumes the calendar.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) confirmed the delay late Thursday. "The Dems are insistent on no Clarity vote," he said in remarks posted by his press office, adding that he had worked with the bill's sponsors and that Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) "was great, and we're getting that queued up first thing when we come back."

The chamber leaves Friday and returns in mid-September for a few weeks before attention shifts to November's elections, making that window the last realistic one this year. A source familiar with the matter told The Block that Senate Democrats were reluctant to vote ahead of the midterms given the crypto industry's growing political influence, and that the delay buys time to assemble the 60 votes needed.