Rep. Chris Pappas Backs Stalled CLARITY Act After Senate Setback

Rep. Chris Pappas is backing the CLARITY Act, a bipartisan effort to establish federal rules for digital assets after the legislation stalled in the Senate.

The Senate failed to invoke cloture on a motion to proceed to H.R. 3633 in a 49-50 vote Sept. 15. The vote blocked the bill from advancing.

Susan Collins, Josh Hawley, Jerry Moran and Thom Tillis voted against advancing the measure, while Chris Coons did not vote. The procedural defeat left the proposed framework stalled in Congress.

The CLARITY Act would define a regulatory structure for the U.S. crypto market and clarify how digital assets are treated under federal law. The House passed the legislation in 2025, with 78 Democrats and 216 Republicans voting in favor.

Pappas’ support follows the Senate vote. The legislation has drawn criticism from lawmakers since the vote. Rep. Ritchie Torres said President Donald Trump’s influence helped sink the measure.

Cynthia Lummis said the bill includes an Office of Retail Commodity Investor Advocacy through the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. The office would provide a dedicated mechanism related to retail investors in crypto assets.

The Senate setback follows earlier efforts to build support for the legislation across party lines. The bill remains stalled after the Senate vote, while lawmakers weigh the future of federal digital-asset market rules.

The Senate blocked the CLARITY Act from advancing, while Torres attributed the setback partly to Trump’s influence.