Senator Cynthia Lummis has suggested that the U.S. Senate may not vote on the CLARITY Act until sometime before its August recess, as lawmakers continue working on the final version of the major cryptocurrency market structure bill.
Speaking with journalist Eleanor Terrett, Lummis said a vote before the July 4 congressional break is still possible, but she believes a vote before the August recess is a more realistic timeline.
The legislation recently moved one step closer to a Senate vote after being added to the Senate Legislative Calendar. However, Senate leaders have not yet announced when debate or voting will take place.
According to Lummis, lawmakers are still combining several different proposals into one final bill. This includes legislation from both the Senate Banking Committee and Agriculture Committee, along with ethics-related provisions and amendments linked to the GENIUS Act.
She explained that reaching agreement on all of these issues and securing enough support for the bill could take time. The legislation will likely need at least 60 votes in the Senate to move forward, making bipartisan support essential.
Despite the delays, support for the bill continues to grow.
A newly created political action committee called Defend Developers has begun advocating for software developers, decentralized finance builders, and open-source contributors in the cryptocurrency industry. One of its main goals is to ensure that developers receive legal protections under the CLARITY Act.
Developer protections have become one of the key topics being debated during negotiations, with lawmakers from both parties discussing how those safeguards should be included in the final legislation.
The bill has also gained backing from outside the crypto industry. Recently, 160 former intelligence, military, national security, and law enforcement officials signed a letter urging Senate leaders to move the legislation forward.
Supporters argue that the CLARITY Act would provide clearer rules for the digital asset industry while strengthening oversight, consumer protection, and law enforcement tools.
The legislation has also sparked public debate. Earlier this week, JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon criticized both the bill and the cryptocurrency industry, arguing that the proposal could create risks by allowing crypto firms to offer financial products without the same protections required of traditional banks.
Lummis strongly disagreed with those claims. She argued that anti-money laundering rules and Bank Secrecy Act requirements already apply to digital assets and are included in the legislation.
According to Lummis, some of the criticism surrounding the bill is based on misunderstandings about what the legislation actually contains.
While the exact timing remains uncertain, momentum behind the CLARITY Act continues to build. Lawmakers are still negotiating the final details, but many supporters believe the bill could become one of the most important pieces of cryptocurrency legislation in the United States.
For now, attention is focused on the Senate, where discussions will continue over the coming weeks as lawmakers work toward a final version that can attract enough votes to pass.
