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Ahmed Barakat
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Three progressive organizations, Indivisible, Demand Progress, and the Revolving Door Project, sent a letter Tuesday evening to every Democratic Senate office, criticizing Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand over her son’s ties to the crypto industry. The move complicates her effort to broker a compromise on the CLARITY Act unresolved ethics provisions. It also signals that Senate Democrats backing the bill face an organized political campaign, not just a policy disagreement.
The letter portrays Gillibrand, chair of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, as vulnerable to the same criticism Democrats have directed at President Donald Trump’s crypto ventures. The groups argued that attacks on Trump’s crypto profits lose force if a leading Democratic negotiator has close family ties to the industry.
Meanwhile, Gillibrand has repeatedly called for elected officials and their spouses to avoid issuing or sponsoring digital assets.
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60 Votes and a Tight Timeline
The CLARITY Act is the most comprehensive crypto market structure bill proposed in the United States. Passing it requires 60 Senate votes, meaning Republicans still need several Democratic supporters beyond those who backed it in committee.
Sens. Ruben Gallego and Angela Alsobrooks voted in favor during the Senate Banking Committee review, leaving leadership searching for additional votes.
At the same time, bipartisan ethics talks continue on multiple fronts. Sens. Bernie Moreno and Cynthia Lummis are working with the White House on compromise language, while Sen. Thom Tillis leads separate bipartisan negotiations. Although no draft has been released, reports suggest discussions are progressing. The debate still centers on how ethics rules should apply to public officials and their families.
Fairshake, the crypto industry’s leading super PAC, also hangs over the negotiations. The group holds roughly $125 million in available funds, raising political stakes ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. As a result, both parties have incentives to reach a deal, while progressive groups continue warning against weak ethics provisions.
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CLARITY Act and GENIUS Act Echoes Return
The current standoff closely resembles last year’s GENIUS Act debate, when Senate Democrats clashed over crypto regulation and Trump’s financial connections to the industry. That legislation ultimately secured support from 18 Senate Democrats after lengthy negotiations. Now, the CLARITY Act faces similar internal pressure, familiar lobbying efforts, and another race against the legislative calendar.
Gillibrand again sits at the center of negotiations, and her ability to unite Democrats on an acceptable ethics compromise could determine whether the bill advances. The Senate is expected to consider the legislation before the August recess. Until negotiators release the final ethics language, the battle remains focused on political positioning rather than legislative text.
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