Democrats Flip On CLARITY Act After Passage Becomes Unattainable

Former U.S. Treasury digital assets counselor Tyler Williams explained why some pro-CLARITY Democrats voted against the crypto bill after its passage became unattainable.

The CLARITY Act, a legislation designed to establish a federal regulatory framework for digital assets and clarify the roles of the Securities and Exchange Commission and Commodity Futures Trading Commission, failed to advance in the Senate with a 49-50 vote on September 15. The bill required 60 votes to proceed.

Williams stated that some Democrats who supported the CLARITY Act ultimately voted no once it became clear that the legislation could not pass. He said those lawmakers faced a potential political cost from voting yes when passage was already out of reach.