President Donald Trump has reportedly agreed to additional ethics restrictions in the Clarity Act, with the Administration seeking to secure enough support for the bill ahead of a crucial Senate vote this week.
Speaking at the Solana Policy Institute summit in Washington on September 14, White House crypto adviser Patrick Witt said that he felt “very good” about the legislation’s odds, despite lingering disagreements over ethics rules and stablecoin regulation.
“I feel very good about it. I think we have gone to great lengths to address every issue that’s been raised in this bill,” Witt said.
The Senate is scheduled to hold a procedural vote on September 16, with 60 votes required to overcome a filibuster and move the bill forward. In the meantime, the Trump’s administration’s new push is expected to secure further Democratic support for the bill.
Donald Trump pushes for Clarity Act
Witt said Trump personally “blessed” further ethics concessions after reviewing the provisions with advisers last Friday. Specifically, he described the latest version of the bill as the White House’s “best and final offer,” adding that Republicans had agreed to roughly 95% of the requests made by the Democrats.
So far, ethics provisions have been a central point of contention, as Democrats have demanded stronger safeguards against the Trump family and federal officials profiting from crypto ventures. Accordingly, the revised Clarity Act would allegedly allow state attorneys general to pursue ethics violations involving federal officials. However, it would still not give them direct authority to target the president, vice president, members of Congress, or federal judges.
Despite the renewed push, Democratic staff on the Senate Banking Committee argue that the restrictions are insufficient, as officials appointed by the president could retain too much control over enforcement. Witt, in turn, defended the changes, adding on X that Republicans have been cooperative throughout the process.
“At every step of the way during the Clarity Act negotiations, the White House and Senate Republicans have been responsive to Democrats’ stated policy objectives. After more than a year’s worth of negotiations, it’s time to pass this bipartisan bill,” he wrote.
Nonetheless, the outcome remains uncertain. Notably, the Clarity Act faces opposition not only from Democrats but also from banking groups, which have focused their criticism on stablecoin rewards. Thus, even if it advances, the legislation would still require further amendments and House approval, with potential new delays.
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