House Committee Set for Historic Vote on ARMA Bitcoin Reserve Bill

The House Financial Services Committee is set to vote on the American Reserve Modernization Act (ARMA) of 2026, a bipartisan bill aimed at establishing a national Bitcoin reserve. Introduced by Republican Rep. Nick Begich and Democratic co-sponsor Rep. Jared Golden in late May, the bill has garnered significant attention for its provisions related to Bitcoin and digital assets.

The ARMA proposes a 20-year lockup on government trading or selling of Bitcoin, with an exception made if proceeds from liquidation are used to retire outstanding federal debt. The legislation also mandates that all Bitcoin obtained from criminal seizures or penalties be surrendered to the national reserve rather than being auctioned off.

The bill's budget neutrality provision stipulates that acquiring Bitcoin for the national reserve must not incur costs, and instead, the Department of the Treasury and the Department of Commerce are tasked with determining ways to amass 1 million BTC over five years using surplus dollars or a portion of net earnings from Federal Reserve banks.

The ARMA also introduces the concept of a 'Digital Asset Stockpile' for holding altcoins classified as digital assets, allowing the government to sell or trade these assets for Bitcoin or liquidate them to pay off national debt. A decentralized network of secure physical storage facilities across the country will be established, with third-party contractors performing quarterly audits to ensure full transparency.