The U.S. Senate has postponed a procedural vote on the Digital Asset Market CLARITY Act after shifting its focus to a Russia sanctions bill and pending federal nominations. Lawmakers will first complete immediate Senate business before returning to cryptocurrency market structure legislation, leaving the bill without a scheduled procedural vote.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune filed cloture on Executive Calendar No. 6, which includes S.Res. 817 and a package of en bloc nominations. Senate records also indicate that lawmakers will consider a motion to invoke cloture on the motion to proceed to H.R. 5334, the bill serving as the legislative vehicle for the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia Act of 2026.
Thune said the Senate expects to confirm nearly every nominee currently awaiting floor action after processing the next group of 74 Trump nominees. According to Thune, Senate Republicans will continue handling legislative priorities while the CLARITY Act remains on hold until current business is completed.
Senate Priorities Delay CLARITY Act Vote
Lawmakers had expected to hold an initial vote on the CLARITY Act as they prepared to address debate rules, ethics provisions, and scheduling for the crypto legislation. Industry supporters had hoped the Senate would advance the measure before lawmakers left Washington for the August 8 recess.
Senate plans now place Jay Clayton’s confirmation vote for Director of National Intelligence at 6:30 p.m. on July 28. After completing the confirmation vote, senators are expected to turn their attention to H.R. 5334, placing another legislative item ahead of the cryptocurrency bill.
Thune also pointed to continued disagreement over stablecoin yield provisions and ethics rules. Current expectations place a CLARITY Act vote no earlier than next week. While expressing support for an open amendment process, he said,
“There’s a lot of swirl around it, on yield, some of the things that the banks care deeply about.”
Negotiations Continue as Support Remains Uncertain
The CLARITY Act has been awaiting Senate action since early June, with disagreements over ethics provisions and enforcement authority repeatedly slowing progress. Lawmakers have continued discussions without reaching a final agreement that would allow the bill to advance to full Senate consideration.
New York Attorney General Letitia James called on Congress to reject the measure, saying the proposal would “neuter” state and local law enforcement efforts to crack down on “rampant” fraud in crypto markets. Democratic senators have also argued that state prosecutors should share authority to enforce ethics rules rather than leaving enforcement solely to the Department of Justice.
Crypto industry supporters continue urging Congress to take action before the August recess. Supporters warn that another delay could push the bill into 2027. Market expectations have weakened, with estimates placing the chances of passage in 2026 below 38%, despite support from BlackRock, Fidelity, Charles Schwab, Goldman Sachs, and Grayscale.
