📜 Bessent accuses Democrats of delaying CLARITY Act progress U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent criticized Senate Democrats for slowing the advancement of the CLARITY Act, the legislation designed to establish a federal framework for digital assets. Bessent accused some lawmakers of giving in to what he described as the “Anti-Crypto Army” linked to Senator Elizabeth Warren, arguing that this opposition is preventing progress on a bill he considers necessary for maintaining U.S. competitiveness in digital finance. The Treasury Secretary defended the current version of the legislation, stating that the CLARITY Act does not weaken safeguards but instead strengthens consumer protections and measures against financial crime and money laundering. “America will lead or America won’t,” Bessent said, emphasizing that the United States faces a choice between advancing a regulatory framework that supports digital financial innovation or falling behind other jurisdictions. The comments come as the Senate continues negotiations over the bill, with lawmakers still divided on issues including oversight, stablecoins, developer liability and ethics provisions. bitcoin:native While the CLARITY Act has gained support from several institutional players and industry participants, negotiations remain complex as lawmakers attempt to balance innovation, regulatory control and consumer protection.