US House of Representatives Reaches Agreement to Advance Three Cryptocurrency Bills After Record-Breaking 9-Hour Vote
Republican leaders in the US House of Representatives have reached an agreement to advance three important cryptocurrency bills that were stalled due to opposition from hardline Republican lawmakers regarding the ban on central bank digital currency (CBDC) issuance.
The voting process to establish the official discussion session for these three bills lasted over nine hours — setting a record as the longest vote in House history. Ultimately, the proposal was passed on Wednesday night (US time) with a narrow result: 217 votes in favor and 212 votes against.
Previously, a group of hardline Republican lawmakers declared they would not vote in support without a clear commitment to pass a CBDC ban. However, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise stated that the Republican Party would include the CBDC ban provision in the mandatory defense bill — the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) — to ensure the ban has a chance of being passed.
This week was named "Cryptocurrency Week" by Republican House leaders, with the goal of advancing three key bills: CLARITY Act (regulating crypto market structure), Anti-CBDC Surveillance Act (banning CBDC issuance), and GENIUS Act (stablecoin regulation). Notably, President Donald Trump expressed his desire to sign the GENIUS Act before the end of this week.
According to PunchBowl News, Scalise said the House will conduct separate votes for the CLARITY Act and GENIUS Act on Thursday. However, House Speaker Mike Johnson believes that the bills, except for the GENIUS Act, may be postponed to Friday or next week.
Lasting over 9 hours, this vote has set a record as the longest vote in US House history, surpassing the previous record set just a few weeks ago during the passage of the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" tax and spending bill under President Trump.
CBDC Ban Remains a Contentious Issue
Opposition related to CBDC not only affected Wednesday's voting session but also previously disrupted the first voting session on Tuesday. Republican Representative Keith Self — initially opposing but later changing his stance — criticized that the GENIUS Act "would indirectly pave the way for CBDC". Meanwhile, Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene was the only Republican to vote alongside Democrats in opposing the proposal.
However, the text of the GENIUS Act clearly states that the act should not be understood as expanding the Federal Reserve's authority to provide direct services to the public, which is a characteristic of CBDC.
In the context of pressure from hardline Republican lawmakers, House leadership has committed to including the CBDC ban provision in the NDAA — a defense bill that Congress regularly passes without significant obstacles.
Representative Tim Burchett, who previously voted against the crypto bill advancement process, confirmed in a video posted on X that negotiations are ongoing around including the CBDC ban in the NDAA. He also noted that if any modifications to the GENIUS Act require the bill to return to the Senate, the risk of stagnation would be very high.
House leadership, including Speaker Mike Johnson, has also warned that combining all three bills would increase the likelihood of rejection by the Senate. Therefore, the strategy of separating and voting on the bills is being prioritized.
