‘It’s disappointing‘: U.S Treasury Secretary slams Democrats’ CLARITY Act holdout
U.S Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has dismissed Senate Democrats for stalling the crypto market structure bill, the CLARITY Act. In a statement on Thursday, the 30th of July, Bessent noted that Democrats opposition was not surprising but “disappointing.” Its disappointing — but not surprising — that Senate Democrats are choosing politics on the cusp of a major victory for American leadership. American Exceptionalism was once a bipartisan goal; if Clarity fails, I have serious doubts. The Senate Democrats, including pro-crypto ones such as Angela Alsobrooks and Ruben Gallego, withheld support for the bill, citing ethics, developer protections (BRCA) and illicit finance provisions. For Bessent, some of the raised concerns, like developer protections under the Blockchain Regulatory Certainty Act (BRCA), formalize some historical government policies. The BRCA does nothing other than codify longstanding Treasury Department policy: non-custodial builders and developers are not, and have never been, subject to registration obligations under the Bank Secrecy Act. Source: XClarity Act: Republican support falters That said, Sen Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) reportedly reached an ethics deal. The draft included the role of state attorneys general (AGs). This is one of the key demands Democrats had pushed for, arguing that ethics cases and oversight can not be left to the