U.S. House Advances CLARITY, GENIUS Acts After Longest Vote in History

The U.S. House of Representatives has taken a major step forward for digital asset regulation, advancing both the CLARITY Act and the GENIUS Act. This came after what became the longest recorded procedural vote in congressional history, lasting nearly ten hours. These key bills could now see final floor votes as soon as tomorrow.

CLARITY Act And GENIUS Act Bills Finally Break Deadlock

Reporter Eleanor Terrett has now confirmed that the House has narrowly passed the procedural rule by a 217–212 margin. This critical step sets the stage for full votes on the CLARITY Act, the GENIUS Act, and other measures, including defense spending.

The drawn-out process saw intense negotiation behind the scenes. Several Republican holdouts, who had initially blocked Tuesday’s vote, flipped their stance after meeting with former President Trump.

According to Terrett, these lawmakers secured a commitment that “strong anti-Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) language” would be added to the CLARITY Act. This clears up concerns about potential federal overreach. While the GENIUS Act itself isn’t open for amendments, the agreement to add anti-CBDC provisions to the Clarity Act proved enough to bring hesitant lawmakers on board.

House Financial Services Committee Chairman French Hill praised the outcome in a released statement, congratulating Trump, Speaker Mike Johnson, and other Republican leaders.

Congratulations to President Trump, Speaker Mike Johnson, Majority Leader Steve Scalise, and Majority Whip Tom Emmer for your engagement and hard work over the last few days to craft a strategy whereby President Trump’s digital asset agenda moves through the House and opens the door to a golden age of digital assets.

The CLARITY Act, crafted by House Agriculture Committee Chairman G.T. Thompson and Subcommittee Chairs Dusty Johnson and Bryan Steil, aims to provide clear regulatory frameworks for digital asset markets. Meanwhile, Majority Whip Tom Emmer’s separate Anti-CBDC Surveillance Act would protect American consumers’ privacy and limit potential federal surveillance through central bank digital currencies.

U.S. House Sets Record for Longest Vote

Wednesday’s procedural vote, beginning at 1:19 p.m. ET and concluding at 11:04 p.m. ET, broke congressional records for length. According to lawmakers, the delay was primarily driven by the high stakes surrounding the CLARITY Act and GENIUS Act, alongside intense behind-the-scenes talks.

Representative Bryan Steil remarked on X, “After the longest House vote in history…Crypto Week continues on!

The final vote followed an earlier 215–211 motion to reconsider the bills. This came after Tuesday’s failure, which was caused by internal divisions within the Republican ranks. Now that the procedural hurdles have been cleared, the crypto legislation bills will proceed to their final floor votes.

Chairman Hill had previously assured reporters that enough cross-party backing exists to see both the legislation bills over the finish line. If successful, President Trump would sign the GENIUS Act into law before the end of the week. This could open what backers describe as a “golden age” for U.S.-regulated digital assets.