- Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse urged Congress to pass the CLARITY Act, saying the U.S. can still become the world’s crypto capital.
- The Senate is scheduled to hold a cloture vote on the bill on September 15, but the bill needs 60 votes to overcome a Democratic filibuster.
- House leadership has canceled sessions for the last two weeks of September, which raises doubts about whether the bill can become law this month.
Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse has publicly backed the CLARITY Act, arguing that the United States can still lead the world in crypto if Congress finishes its work. His comments followed a recent White House meeting between financial, technology and crypto executives. The Senate is set to take up the bill on September 15, while a scheduling change in the House has added uncertainty about its timeline.
What Happened
CFTC Chairman Michael Selig pointed to last month’s White House gathering of leaders from crypto and traditional finance, often called traFi. Selig said the country was working to ensure that the next phase of finance is built on American soil. Garlinghouse replied on social media that he was proud to have been in the room, and he said the goal of making America the crypto capital of the world is within reach, adding that lawmakers should finish the job.
The CLARITY Act has been delayed for several reasons. Lawmakers have disagreed over an ethics provision, rules governing decentralized finance (DeFi), consumer protections, and the yields that stablecoins may offer. Garlinghouse has repeatedly urged lawmakers to pass the bill, noting that many large Wall Street firms and banks are now adopting crypto or using the underlying technology. Speaking at the Wyoming Blockchain Symposium, he said Ripple had committed itself strongly to supporting the legislation because the industry as a whole needs clear rules.
On the Senate side, Majority Leader John Thune filed a cloture motion on the CLARITY Act just before the August recess. The bill is queued for a vote when the Senate returns. The cloture vote is scheduled for September 15 at 2:15 PM ET. If cloture is invoked, it would limit further negotiations and debate on the bill.
Why It Matters
For investors and the broader crypto market, the outcome of these votes would determine whether a long-discussed federal framework for digital assets moves forward. Clear rules can reduce regulatory uncertainty, which many market participants have cited as a barrier to larger institutional involvement. Garlinghouse’s argument reflects that view: he has framed clarity as something the whole industry needs, not only one company or one category of token.
The timing also matters. The bill is not yet law, and its path depends on procedural steps that remain unresolved. Market participants watching the bill are therefore weighing both the content of the legislation and the calendar that surrounds it. Any delay could extend the period of uncertainty that the bill is meant to resolve.
Market Context
The Senate process has several stages. The crypto bill requires 60 votes to overcome the Democratic filibuster, and the Senate has 53 Republicans. After cloture is invoked, debate and roll call votes are expected to take place over the next 30 hours. The final votes will then require only a simple majority.
Political timing adds further pressure. Senators have a 15-day window of session before attention shifts fully to the November midterm elections. Separately, President Trump has been pushing for passage of the SAVE America Act, which competes for the same limited floor time.
The House presents a separate obstacle. House leadership has canceled sessions for the last two weeks of September and plans to begin its midterm election recess by September 17. As a result, even if the Senate passes the CLARITY Act, it may not reach the President’s desk this month. Following the House scheduling change, the odds of the bill being signed into law in 2026 dropped on Polymarket, a prediction market platform.
What to Watch Next
- The September 15 cloture vote: The result will show whether the bill can clear the 60-vote threshold needed to move forward.
- Final Senate passage: Watch whether the simple-majority vote follows the initial cloture step within the expected 30-hour window.
- House scheduling: Any change to the planned September recess would directly affect whether the bill can be enacted this month.
- Unresolved policy disputes: Progress or disagreement on the ethics provision, DeFi rules, consumer protections, and stablecoin yields will shape the final text.
- Competing legislative priorities: Floor time devoted to the SAVE America Act and other items before the midterms could affect the Senate schedule.
Source: original report