Steil Says Clarity Act Stalled in Senate Due to Structural Differences

Representative Bryan Steil, chair of the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Digital Assets, believes the main obstacle to passing the Clarity Act is not a disagreement over policy, but rather a structural difference between how the House and Senate operate.

The House's majority rule structure allows leadership to call a vote once consensus is built, which Steil says is a significant advantage. In contrast, the Senate requires 60 votes just to bring the bill up for debate, making it more difficult to pass.

Steil also pointed out that the House vote drew 78 Democrats, far more than initial whip counts predicted. This, he said, suggests that lawmakers are beginning to see digital asset policy as a non-partisan issue.

The subcommittee recently held a field hearing at Federal Hall in New York City, where Steil drew parallels between the creation of the US dollar and the current debate over digital assets.

When asked about rising skepticism toward crypto and emerging technologies from progressive Democrats, Steil predicted that this pushback is temporary. He noted that the underlying digital asset infrastructure will continue to develop regardless of legislation.