Trump to Meet Senators on Ethics Language for Clarity Act

President Donald Trump will meet at 2:30 p.m. Thursday at the White House with Republican Sens. Cynthia Lummis and Bernie Moreno and White House aides to review proposed ethics language tied to the Clarity Act.

White House crypto adviser Patrick Witt and Chief of Staff Susie Wiles are expected to attend the session, which lawmakers and industry representatives view as focused on ethics provisions that have stalled progress on the bill.

Kristin Smith, president of the Solana Policy Institute, described the meeting as an opportunity to present ethics proposals and seek the president’s approval. An industry source called the president’s presence “a big deal” and said it signals intent to reach a deal.

Negotiators from both parties have spent months drafting ethics provisions that would limit how presidents, vice presidents, members of Congress and other federal officials can profit from digital assets while in office. The issue drew renewed attention after a recent financial disclosure showed hundreds of millions of dollars in crypto-related income tied to World Liberty Financial, a company connected to the Trump family.

Senate leadership has indicated updated legislative text for the Clarity Act is expected before the end of the week and has expressed a goal of bringing the bill to a full Senate vote before the August recess.

During consideration in committee, Sens. Ruben Gallego and Angela Alsobrooks voted for the bill but emphasized that ethics issues must be resolved before the measure advances. At Maryland Blockchain Week, Alsobrooks urged Republican colleagues to engage directly on the matter and said, “But I think everybody should be clear that my Republican colleagues are going to have to lean in and make sure that these issues are addressed.”

Republican negotiators have resisted proposals that would grant state attorneys general the power to sue elected officials. They are considering mechanisms such as blind trusts to reduce conflicts. Lummis described ongoing talks as aimed at finding language acceptable to both Congress and the White House.

Democratic opposition has also been public. Senators Chris Van Hollen, Chris Murphy and Jeff Merkley led an event opposing the bill in its current form; Van Hollen declared, “Let's hope it never sees the light of day.”

Industry participants and policy advocates are watching the meeting closely. Smith expressed growing optimism about the prospects for a deal, saying, “This could totally get done,” and calling the session “critical” to advancing the bill.

If negotiators reach agreement on ethics language at the meeting, they could finalize the bill text and move to a Senate floor vote in the coming weeks. The Clarity Act aims to establish a federal framework for digital assets that addresses classification, regulation and oversight of cryptocurrencies and related services.