Senate Majority Leader John Thune of South Dakota posted on X that more than 50 million Americans use cryptocurrency and want regulations, saying Democrats who block a result after negotiations will be clear to everyone. The message followed a 49-50 Senate vote in Washington that failed to advance the Clarity Act. Online users reacted after the post, with many replies shifting focus to demands that Thune pass the SAVE Act instead.
In the accompanying post, he said, “More than 50 million Americans use cryptocurrency, and they overwhelmingly agree that it is time to introduce some regulations and guidance for this industry.” He added, “If Democrats do not take ‘yes’ for an answer, those responsible for impeding a successful result will be clear to everyone.” The footage does not show the roll-call vote itself, and it is not clear from the clip what questions were asked immediately before he spoke.
The same day, the Senate rejected cloture on the motion to proceed to the Clarity Act, 49-50, short of the 60 votes needed to advance the bill. Thune’s office separately said 126 changes had been made at Democrats’ request and asked whether they would “take yes for an answer.”
Democrats and some Republicans cited ethics language tied to public officials’ crypto holdings; Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said a bipartisan discussion was underway and that Republican leadership “killed it.” The clip does not resolve those competing accounts.
Crypto Rules on the Floor, SAVE Act in the Replies
Some replies on X turned from the crypto bill to other Senate business. One commenter wrote, “You’re no leader,” adding that more than 50 million Americans view him as a failure.
Scott Presler asked, “Why won’t you pass the SAVE America Act, especially since you believe the Senate is at risk of being lost?”
Other users wrote, “More than 50 million Americans want the Save America Act passed,” and “You’ll talk about anything but passing the Save Act.”
Industry figures focused on the failed vote. Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse said, “This one stings.” Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong called the result “a disappointment,” while adding that the SEC and CFTC “have the tools they need to create clear rules under existing authority.”
Democratic senators described the ethics provisions as insufficient. Sen. Elizabeth Warren said the latest offer was “a weak fig leaf.”
Sen. Elissa Slotkin said she voted no because “the ethics provisions in this bill are simply too thin.” Sen. Ruben Gallego said, “This legislation failed squarely because Republicans refuse to say no to the president.”
For now, the stalled Clarity Act remains part of a wider fight over crypto rules and ethics in Washington. Online critics, however, remain focused on whether Senate leaders will turn next to other priorities, including the SAVE Act.
