Thune Punts CLARITY Past Recess — Crypto Bill Gets a September Tee Time ⛳

The U.S. Senate will not hold a floor vote on the CLARITY Act before the August recess, Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) confirmed, according to a post by POLITICO reporter Jordain Carney. Carney wrote on X, "NEWS: Thune just confirmed our scoop that Senate is punting clarity vote until September," adding that he "said they would get it teed up for when they return." The Senate is expected to reconvene in mid-September.

Thune's decision came after he declined to file a cloture motion on the crypto market structure bill, instead introducing cloture on several other items. The Senate Cloakroom reported that Thune filed cloture on the motion to proceed to Calendar No. 449, S. 4668, the Protect College Sports Act of 2026, as well as Executive Calendar No. 914, nominating Todd Blanche to be U.S. Attorney General, and Executive Calendar No. 910, the nomination of Erica Schwartz to head the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. He also offered cloture on Calendar No. 320, the "Continuing Resolution," H.R. 6500, along with the Collins substitute amendment #6732.

Crypto in America host Eleanor Terrett noted that procedural issues tied to the Continuing Resolution (CR) prompted Thune to avoid filing cloture on the CLARITY Act, and that a filibuster over ethics rules and other concerns made the vote count uncertain. The Senate previously voted 89-4 to prevent a government shutdown ahead of the midterm elections, prioritizing funding legislation over the crypto bill.

The Thursday schedule did not list the CLARITY Act, with the Senate Press Gallery indicating the chamber would reconvene at 10:00 a.m. to "resume consideration of the nominations in bloc, pursuant to S Res 817, post-cloture," and that "roll call votes are expected but have not yet been scheduled." The agenda covered the continuing resolution, the Protect College Sports Act of 2026, and the Todd Blanche nomination. Without a cloture filing, the procedural pathway to a weekend floor vote was effectively closed.

Senator Thom Tillis told reporters that bipartisan negotiations were continuing, stating, "We've got people working with the White House right now… they're going through some of the lines right now." Republican leaders had sought to move the bill before the recess, but it has not drawn enough Democratic support, with Senate Democrats pushing for further negotiations on outstanding issues and expressing skepticism of a fast-track consideration. The CLARITY Act is designed to establish a regulatory framework for digital assets, aiming to provide greater transparency and oversight in the crypto industry.