Three US Senators Oppose CLARITY Act, Demand Conflict-of-Interest Provisions

As the Senate nears a vote on the CLARITY Act, a bill that would set market-structure rules for digital assets, three Democratic senators have come out publicly against it, citing the absence of ethics provisions.

Cointelegraph reported on July 14 that Senators Chris Murphy, Jeff Merkley and Chris Van Hollen announced their opposition at a press conference. They argued the bill does nothing to address conflicts of interest tied to President Donald Trump's crypto ventures, including his memecoin and his family's business, World Liberty Financial.

Murphy said there was no reason to create a new crypto regulatory framework if it failed to stop what he called Trump's corruption. A bill designed to legally protect Trump's dominance in the industry would itself amount to fundamental corruption, he added.

The CLARITY Act passed the House about a year ago and has continued to be debated in the Senate. As part of the Republican-led "Crypto Week" agenda, the GENIUS Act, a stablecoin bill, has already been signed into law. The CLARITY Act needs at least 60 votes to pass the Senate, meaning Republicans cannot approve it on their own and need support from some Democrats.

The pushback extends beyond the three senators. Senator Elizabeth Warren has also urged lawmakers to add provisions to block what she called "open financial corruption" after Trump disclosed that he earned $1.4 billion from crypto businesses in 2025.

The bill has also drawn support from two law-enforcement groups. The National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives and the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association said the measure would help authorities respond to crypto-related crime.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune said he intends to hold a vote before the Senate begins its recess on Aug. 10. As of July 14, no specific voting date had been posted on the Senate calendar.

Meanwhile, the death of Senator Lindsey Graham over the weekend reduced the Republican caucus to 51 seats from 52. Senator Mitch McConnell is also hospitalized, which could further reduce the number of lawmakers present for a vote. Senator Cynthia Lummis, a backer of the CLARITY Act, said the Senate would release the bill's final text within days.