Republican Rift Imperils CLARITY Act Timetable as Scott Seeks Unanimous GOP Support for May Markup

Senate efforts to advance the CLARITY Act are uncertain as Senate Banking Committee Chair Tim Scott is seeking unanimous Republican support before proceeding with a committee markup, and GOP unity remained elusive ahead of a planned May vote. Industry groups have intensified pressure for action, with more than 100 organizations publicly urging movement on the bill as the committee prepares to consider it this month ^{[1] [2] [3]}.

Key Republican holdouts and policy disputes are complicating prospects: Sen. John Kennedy has declined to commit support, while Sen. Thom Tillis supports a May markup only if mandatory ethics provisions are added. Contentious policy items include stablecoin reward structures, DeFi regulatory frameworks, and provisions addressing presidential crypto business dealings; some industry analysts place the bill's passage probability at roughly 15–25% while other outlets characterize the odds as closer to 50–50 despite presidential backing ^{[2] [4]}.

Chairman Scott has signaled he is aiming for a path that could lead to a presidential signature by summer, but the timetable depends on resolving intraparty disagreements and amendment negotiations; reports indicate the committee markup is set for this month even as the bill's ultimate timing remains fluid ^{[3] [1]}.

With key GOP senators undecided and several technical and ethics issues unresolved, observers say the bill's path to enactment remains uncertain in the weeks ahead ^{[2] [3]}.