Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso has become the latest lawmaker to publicly call for action on the cryptocurrency Clarity Act, though recent developments suggest progress on the bill may be decelerating.

The Clarity Act would establish the first comprehensive market-structure framework for digital assets in the United States, defining when a token qualifies as a security versus a commodity and clarifying the respective oversight roles of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission — a dividing line the crypto industry has long said is essential for firms to operate with confidence domestically.

Addressing the Senate on Thursday, Barrasso reminded colleagues that the United States passed its first major digital asset legislation last year — the GENIUS Act — and argued that the same bipartisan cooperation is needed to advance the Clarity Act.

JUST IN: Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso tells the Senate "its time for the Senate to build on [the GENIUS Act] by passing the Clarity Act." "America is safer and stronger when we innovate" pic.twitter.com/LPG11vESle — Bitcoin Magazine (@BitcoinMagazine) August 6, 2026

"It's time for the Senate to build on [the GENIUS Act] by passing the Clarity Act," Barrasso said.

Lawmakers are racing to bring the Clarity Act to a vote ahead of a five-week recess scheduled to begin this week. Some Republicans have accused Democrats of deliberately slowing the bill's progress through procedural objections.

Bipartisan negotiations have shaped the legislation. On Wednesday, Senator Thom Tillis indicated that the White House was reviewing the latest amendments to the bill. However, Punchbowl News Senior Reporter Brendan Pendersen posted on X on Thursday that Tillis said he had not yet received a response from the White House, dampening earlier optimism. Senate Majority Leader John Thune had previously told reporters that Republicans were aiming for a vote before the recess.

With multiple bills competing for floor time before the break, the Clarity Act appears to have been pushed back on the legislative calendar.

The Clarity Act, which would establish comprehensive digital asset regulation in the United States, was passed by the House of Representatives last year. According to Senator Cynthia Lummis, the text has since expanded significantly, driven by Democratic requests for additional provisions.

Since July, a revised version of the bill incorporating ethics-related changes has been circulating among lawmakers. The new text bans government officials and their families from issuing or promoting cryptocurrencies — an issue Democrats had previously flagged. Despite these changes, a group of Democrats sent a letter in July stating that the bill still fell short of their expectations.

Beyond ethics concerns, the Clarity Act has also faced a legislative impasse this year due to opposition from the banking lobby. Banking groups have raised objections regarding stablecoin yield payments made by crypto companies to their customers, putting them at odds with firms such as Coinbase.

Some Republicans remain confident that a vote can still take place this week. Senate Banking Committee member Tim Scott told Fox Business that the Clarity Act is "something we should have, the first vote before we leave without any question."

Senator Lummis said on Wednesday that a vote would take place and that lawmakers could remain in session an additional day or two to accomplish it.

This article first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and was written by Mathew Di Salvo.