29 US Lawmakers Demand Permanent CBDC Ban
A group of 29 Republican lawmakers is pushing back against a housing bill amendment that would expire a central bank digital currency ban in 2031, demanding permanent prohibition language instead.
Key Takeaway
Republicans want no CBDC ever, not just a ban that expires when the next administration takes office.
A group of 29 Republican lawmakers sent a letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune demanding a permanent ban on central bank digital currencies, not a temporary prohibition that expires in 2031.
Congressman Michael Cloud led the effort after a 300-page housing bill amendment included CBDC prohibition language with a 2031 expiration date. The lawmakers wrote that a prohibition of a central bank digital currency must be permanent, warning that a CBDC would give the Federal Reserve unchecked control over Americans' money and open the door to government surveillance of private financial activity.
The letter specifically called for restoring the strong language of HR 1919, the Anti-CBDC Surveillance State Act that Congressman Tom Emmer introduced in June 2025. That bill cleared the House 219-210 and prevents Federal Reserve banks from offering services or accounts to individuals without congressional approval. It was attached to the National Defense Authorization Act through White House negotiations.
Rep. Ralph Norman tweeted support for the permanent ban on March 7. He wrote that Americans deserve financial freedom, not government-controlled money.
Cloud and his colleagues argue that any deadline-based ban leaves the door open for future administrations to implement digital dollar surveillance infrastructure once the prohibition expires.
The housing bill amendment would allow CBDC research to continue until 2031, which the 29 lawmakers rejected in their letter to leadership on March 8, 2026.
This article was written based on reporting from Bitcoinist.
