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Senate Rejects Clarity Act, 49–50 Vote Blocks Bill

By Drooid · Sep 16, 2026, 10:51 PM UTC · How we work

Left

Trump crypto enrichment

The U.S. Senate voted 49-50 on September 15, 2026, to reject the motion needed to advance the Clarity Act cryptocurrency bill.
Progressives argued the bill lacked ethics safeguards, risking families, national security, and enriching President Donald Trump’s crypto holdings, noting $130 million in crypto donor money and an $88 million super PAC.
Senator Elizabeth Warren warned the bill threatened families and national security enriching Trump’s crypto empire.
Bitcoin fell 5%; Coinbase dropped.

Right

Tillis Vote Flip

The U.S. Senate voted 49–50 against advancing the Clarity Act on Tuesday, September 15, 2026.
Republican senators highlighted the bill’s bipartisan compromises and warned the defeat harms American families and U.S. financial innovation.
Senator Thom Tillis (R-North Carolina) switched his vote from yea to nay at the last moment, aiding the defeat.
Bitcoin fell about 3 % to below $77,000 ahead of the vote.

Center

Bill Misses Threshold

The U.S. Senate voted 49-50 on September 15, 2026, to reject the Clarity Act cryptocurrency regulatory bill.
Even after inserting ethics safeguards for President Donald Trump’s crypto holdings and banking-lobby concessions, the bill still missed the 60-vote threshold.
Senators Jerry Moran, Susan Collins, Josh Hawley and Thom Tillis voted against the bill.
Thom Tillis said his vote preserved a procedural option to bring the measure back later.

Blindspot

Crypto industry donors contributed more than $130 million to congressional races in 2024—including $40 million in Ohio and $10 million each in Arizona and Michigan—and a crypto-aligned super PAC reported having over $88 million available to influence the November midterm elections, according to progressive-leaning sources.
Within this story's sources, this angle appears mainly in Left-leaning coverage and receives less attention in Center- and Right-leaning coverage.

History

Historical Context

The 2008 financial crisis triggered the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act, signed by President George W. Bush on October 3, 2008, creating a $700 billion Troubled Asset Relief Program overseen by Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and the Federal Reserve. That sweeping intervention set a precedent for later partisan splits over financial reforms, including the 2026 Senate defeat of a crypto-regulation bill that revived concerns about lobbying influence.

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Trump crypto enrichment

The U.S. Senate voted 49-50 on September 15, 2026, to reject the motion needed to advance the Clarity Act cryptocurrency bill.
Progressives argued the bill lacked ethics safeguards, risking families, national security, and enriching President Donald Trump’s crypto holdings, noting $130 million in crypto donor money and an $88 million super PAC.
Senator Elizabeth Warren warned the bill threatened families and national security enriching Trump’s crypto empire.
Bitcoin fell 5%; Coinbase dropped.

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