Tom Emmer’s anti-CBDC bill clears US House Financial Services Committee

Lawmakers in the United States have advanced a bill opposing the creation of a central bank digital currency.

On April 2, the US House Financial Services Committee passed the CBDC Anti-Surveillance State Act (H.R. 1919) in a 27-22 vote. 

The bill, introduced by Minnesota Representative Tom Emmer, aims to stop the Federal Reserve from issuing or managing a digital dollar. It also blocks the Fed from rolling out a CBDC through intermediaries or using it as a tool for monetary policy. 

Supporters argue that a state-controlled digital currency could lead to increased financial surveillance and give the government too much control over personal spending.

Emmer, a long-time critic of CBDCs, warned that such a system could become a form of “programmable money” with the potential to restrict unpopular activity and track transactions in real time. 

“[…] A CBDC is government-controlled programmable money that, if designed without privacy protections of cash, could give the federal government unilateral authority to surveil Americans’ transactions and restrict politically unpopular activity,” Emmer said in an April 3 press release.

Backing for the bill comes from 114 co-sponsors and groups like the American Bankers Association and the Blockchain Association. The effort has also been tied to a former presidential executive order that aimed to block CBDC development entirely.

During a televised address from the Oval Office on January 23, former President Donald Trump unveiled an executive order that prohibited the development and use of a US CBDC and proposed a federal working group to draft stablecoin regulations, in line with his campaign promise to block CBDCs if re-elected.

Emmer previously introduced his anti-CBDC bill, H.R. 5403, in 2023. It cleared both the House Financial Services Committee and a full House vote in 2024, but never reached a Senate vote before the 118th Congress adjourned in January.

Congress is currently weighing two other stablecoin-related bills. On April 2, the House Financial Services Committee passed the Stablecoin Transparency and Accountability for a Better Ledger Economy Act in a 32-17 vote. The bill aims to bring clearer rules to the stablecoin space, including popular USD-backed tokens like USDT and USDC.

Over in the Senate, lawmakers are also reviewing the GENIUS Act, introduced by Senator Bill Hagerty. The proposal outlines a federal framework for stablecoin issuers, covering areas like licensing, reserves, audits, and transparency. It recently advanced through the Senate Banking Committee with an 18-6 vote.