Dem senator calls GOP's CLARITY ethics plan a 'piece of shit'
Democratic Sen. Ruben Gallego slammed Senate Republicans' new CLARITY Act ethics text as not a serious effort, telling Politico their draft was a "piece of shit." As one dem senator calls gops counterproposal inadequate, talks on White House-backed digital-asset ethics rules remain unresolved.
Key Takeaways
- Senate Republicans released proposed CLARITY Act text on Wednesday, including ethics language covering federal officials.
- Sen. Ruben Gallego told Politico the GOP draft was a "piece of shit" and "not a serious effort."
- Republicans dispute that claim; Sen. Bernie Moreno called the draft the "most powerful ethics language in US history."
- Gallego said he will work with Sen. Thom Tillis and other Republicans on a counterproposal.
The clash centers on ethics rules in the Digital Asset Market Clarity (CLARITY) Act, a major crypto market-structure bill. For more coverage of digital-asset policy fights, see our Fintech & Crypto Alerts hub.
What did Senate Republicans propose in the CLARITY Act?
On Wednesday, Senate Republicans released proposed text for the CLARITY Act. The draft includes ethics language that would bar all US federal officials — including President Donald Trump — from issuing or sponsoring any digital asset.
Democrats argued those ethics provisions fall short, even though the language is framed as White House-approved. The dispute quickly spilled into public comments from key negotiators on both sides.
Why did Sen. Ruben Gallego reject the ethics draft?
Gallego said he will work with Republicans on a counterproposal, arguing the text released this week was not a serious effort. Speaking to Politico, as reported by Cointelegraph, he used blunt language to dismiss the GOP offer.
"Whatever piece of shit they sent back to us, that was not a serious effort," Gallego said on Thursday. He added he could not imagine the draft reflected months of work with Republican colleagues, saying what was offered was not "even remotely close."
How are Republicans responding, and what happens next?
Senate Republicans have rejected claims that the ethics provisions are weak. Sen. Bernie Moreno described the draft as containing "the most powerful ethics language in US history."
Gallego said he still intends to negotiate, naming Sen. Thom Tillis and other Republicans as partners on revised language. "We are still in this fight," he told Politico. "We are going to send back language."
Until both sides land on ethics rules Democrats will accept, the CLARITY Act's path remains contested — a pivotal watchpoint for crypto market structure in Washington.