House Republicans End Nine-Hour Vote Standoff Over Crypto Bills

The U.S. House of Representatives recently made history with the longest vote in its modern history, lasting over nine hours. This unprecedented event was not due to Democratic opposition but rather internal disagreements within the Republican Party. The vote was intended to initiate debate on three proposed crypto-related bills, but a group of Republican lawmakers withheld support, leading to a standoff that halted proceedings for most of the day.

The disagreement centered around concerns about how the bills addressed central bank digital currencies (CBDCs). Conservative Republicans, particularly from the Freedom Caucus, opposed unclear language in the GENIUS Act that they feared could allow the Federal Reserve to issue a digital dollar. This clause, which stated that the bill should not be interpreted as expanding the Fed’s authority to serve individuals directly, was deemed too vague by the holdouts. Representative Keith Self of Texas, for instance, referred to it as a potential back door and pushed for a clear legislative ban on any form of CBDC.

Given the GOP’s narrow majority, the defection of a small group was enough to block the rule from passing. With all Democrats voting against it, House leadership faced a prolonged deadlock. On the evening of Jul. 15, President Trump met with several of the dissenting members and proposed a compromise. Instead of changing the GENIUS Act, he suggested adding anti-CBDC language to the Digital Asset Market CLARITY Act. This approach gained traction with some of the holdouts, who publicly indicated that they were now willing to support the procedural motion.

However, new concerns emerged the next day. Lawmakers who had worked on the CLARITY Act questioned whether attaching a CBDC ban to a market structure bill would weaken its chances in the Senate or disrupt the coalition that helped it move forward in June. To address these concerns, House leadership proposed advancing the Anti-CBDC Surveillance State Act as part of the upcoming National Defense Authorization Act. This measure is considered essential and often serves as a vehicle for policy items that may not pass independently. The revised proposal helped shift remaining votes, and by late evening, all but one Republican member reversed their position, allowing the rule to pass with a 217–212 vote. The session concluded just before midnight, setting a new record for the longest vote in House history.

Speaker Mike Johnson described the process as challenging but necessary and marked it as the beginning of what party leaders referred to as Crypto Week. The three crypto-related bills address different parts of the digital asset space. The GENIUS Act focuses on stablecoins, setting national standards for issuers and requiring full reserves, clear redemption rights for users, and basic safeguards. The Digital Asset Market CLARITY Act aims to clarify the roles of federal agencies in regulating different kinds of crypto assets, with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission overseeing most decentralized tokens and the Securities and Exchange Commission remaining in charge of assets sold as investment contracts. The Anti-CBDC Surveillance State Act seeks to block the Federal Reserve from issuing a CBDC or digital dollar directly to the public, a measure supported by the conservative wing of the GOP.

Following the rule vote, House Republicans proceeded with Crypto Week, with the GENIUS Act scheduled for a House vote on Jul. 17. If enacted, it would become the first comprehensive federal legislation on stablecoins, setting a precedent for how digital dollars and other asset-backed tokens are treated in the U.S. The Digital Asset Market CLARITY Act is expected to follow, but its path remains more complex due to disagreements over how to create clear lines between the SEC and CFTC. The current momentum in the House indicates a change in how Congress is treating crypto policy, with legislative progress being taken up with more urgency and the issue moving higher on the national agenda. President Trump’s direct involvement and vocal support for digital asset policy have also created new political incentives, while the debates over the past week have revealed that internal divisions within the Republican Party are likely to shape future stages of the process.