
The Clarity Act died 49–50 — and voters were never told why.
Banks don't want competition.
Cloture failed 49–50 on 15 September 2026 (Senate Vote 119-2-234). Official Live release: 18 September 2026. The public frame was ethics. The fight over rewards was banking.
National savings average: 0.38%. Stablecoins can pay 3.5–5%. A dollar that sends, spends, and earns — no middleman — hits bank net interest margin.
ICBA, ABA, and the Bank Policy Institute fought the rewards piece. They called it Main Street. It was margin. Your dollar earns pennies. They lend it out near 7%.
Orbital Fusions LLC: Your money should work as hard as you do. Banks don't want competition — that is the thesis. Clarity Act was the break. It failed 49–50.

