Tom Emmer dismisses 2 key Clarity Act concerns

Clarity Act concerns from law enforcement are overblown, House Majority Whip Tom Emmer said.

House Majority Whip Tom Emmer said law enforcement groups are overstating their concerns about crypto developer protections embedded in the legislation. He called the objections a “red herring” designed to slow the broader bill’s progress through Congress.

Emmer forcefully defended the Blockchain Regulatory Certainty Act, which would shield noncustodial software developers from being treated as money transmitters. He argued the U.S. needs clearer rules to keep innovators onshore rather than driving them to other jurisdictions.

Tom Emmer frames Clarity Act as bipartisan priority

Emmer pointed to the Senate Banking Committee’s 15-9 vote advancing the bill as evidence that support extends beyond Republicans. He described the Clarity Act as the fifth or sixth iteration of crypto market structure legislation the House has refined over multiple sessions of Congress.

“The president never asked me to predetermine, commit, fix, decide on any interest rate decision,” Emmer noted that the legislation would create clear distinctions between digital assets regulated as securities, commodities, or cash equivalents. He predicted Congress would ultimately send the package to President Trump’s desk.

The Blockchain Regulatory Certainty Act provision has drawn particular scrutiny. It codifies that developers who write code but do not control user funds should not face money transmitter obligations, a principle crypto advocates consider essential to keeping open-source development in the United States.

Emmer also criticized former SEC Chair Gary Gensler’s enforcement-first approach under the Biden administration. He argued that companies want to build in the U.S. but need to understand “the rules of the road” before committing resources.