Clarity? More Like Crypto-Bill-ity: Thune Skips Cloture, Sends Senate Down College Sports Instead 🏈

The CLARITY Act remains stalled in the U.S. Senate after Majority Leader John Thune did not file a cloture motion on the crypto market structure bill this week, opting instead to push cloture on a slate of unrelated measures, including the Protect College Sports Act of 2026 and several nominations.

Crypto journalist Eleanor Terrett said procedural issues tied to a Continuing Resolution (CR) to keep the government funded, combined with uncertainty over the votes needed to overcome a filibuster, prompted Thune to hold off on moving the crypto bill. The Senate voted 89-4 to prevent a government shutdown before the midterm elections, and Thune filed cloture on Calendar No. 320, H.R. 6500, the legislative vehicle for the Continuing Resolution, along with the Collins substitute amendment #6732. He also introduced cloture on the motion to proceed to Calendar No. 449, S.4668, the Protect College Sports Act of 2026, and on nominations including Executive Calendar No. 914, Todd Blanche for U.S. Attorney General, and Executive Calendar No. 910, Erica Schwartz to head the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Terrett wrote that Thune's filing of cloture on the motion to proceed to the college sports bill "signals there's" ongoing work to resolve outstanding issues on the CLARITY Act, and noted the market is now awaiting a cloture filing for the crypto legislation. Thune had been expected to file cloture on Wednesday to begin the process for a procedural vote, but that filing did not occur. The delay eliminates the possibility of a weekend procedural vote, which is typical in the current Senate session.

The bill's timeline has slipped repeatedly. On Thursday, August 6, the Senate did not bring the CLARITY Act to a floor vote, and the daily schedule posted by the Senate Press Gallery listed the chamber reconvening at 10:00 a.m. to "resume consideration of the nominations in bloc, pursuant to S Res 817, post-cloture," noting "roll call votes are expected but have not yet been scheduled." The agenda included the continuing resolution, the Protect College Sports Act of 2026, and the Todd Blanche nomination; the CLARITY Act was not on it.

Bipartisan talks, however, are still active. Senator Thom Tillis told reporters, "We've got people working with the White House right now… they're going through some of the lines right now," indicating negotiations between senators and the administration over the bill's language remain in motion as the chamber weighs its next steps.