CLARITY Act vote more likely before August recess, says Lummis

Senator Cynthia Lummis has indicated that the Senate could take until August to complete work on the CLARITY Act as lawmakers continue assembling the final version of the crypto market structure bill.

Speaking with journalist Eleanor Terrett, Lummis said a Senate floor vote could still happen before the July 4 congressional recess but suggested a vote before the August recess is the more likely outcome.

Her comments came days after the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act was added to the Senate Legislative Calendar, a step that allows the legislation to be considered by the full Senate. Even so, Senate leaders have not announced a date for debate or a floor vote.

According to Lummis, several pieces of legislation still need to be combined before the process can move ahead. She told Terrett that lawmakers must merge the Banking Committee’s bill, the Agriculture Committee’s bill, ethics provisions, and certain changes connected to the GENIUS Act.

Reaching agreement on the final text and securing the 60 votes required for cloture could take longer than initially expected, Lummis said. While she acknowledged that Congress has moved legislation quickly in the past, she noted that completing the process before the July recess may prove difficult.

Developer protections emerge as another focus

Alongside discussions over timing, political support for parts of the legislation has continued to grow.

A newly launched political action committee called Defend Developers has begun advocating for U.S.-based crypto software engineers, decentralized finance builders, and open-source developers. One of the group’s priorities is securing legal protections for developers within the CLARITY Act.

Reports cited by the organization indicate that developer protections have become a significant point of debate between Republicans and Democrats as negotiations continue.

Support for the legislation has also come from outside the crypto industry. According to the Blockchain Association, 160 former intelligence, defense, and law enforcement officials signed a letter urging Senate Majority Leader John Thune and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer to advance the CLARITY Act.

The latest update follows renewed public debate over the bill’s contents. Earlier this week, Lummis criticized JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon after he attacked both Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong and the legislation itself during a CNBC interview.

As previously reported by crypto.news, Dimon argued that the bill could allow crypto companies to offer rewards tied to deposits or stablecoins without protections comparable to those required of banks. He also claimed the proposal failed to adequately address Anti-Money Laundering and Bank Secrecy Act requirements.

Responding on CNBC, Lummis rejected that interpretation and said AML and BSA obligations already apply to digital assets and are included in the legislation. She also argued that criticism of the bill stemmed from a misunderstanding of its provisions.