A standalone bill that went nowhere in the Senate is now at the center of a congressional battle over how far the government should go to block the digital dollar — and a group of 29 lawmakers want the answer to be: all the time.
Housing bill quietly sparks currency debate
The scandal started with a possible source. Senate lawmakers this week released the ROAD A Century to the House Act, a 300-page bill focused on housing policy.
Inside was an amendment to the Federal Reserve Act that would have banned the central bank from issuing a Central Bank digital currency, but only until 2031.
For US Congressman Michael Cloud and 28 colleagues, this deadline is a challenge. On Friday, they sent a letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune saying the restrictions must be permanent or it will mean nothing.
I am proud to sign a letter urging House and Senate leadership to permanently ban Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs).
Americans deserve financial freedom, not government handouts.
🧵 SUBJECT: pic.twitter.com/RXRhrJtn40
— Rep. Ralph Norman (@RepRalphNorman) March 7, 2026
“The Central Bank’s digital currency ban should be permanent,” the letter said. The group warned that a CBDC would give the Fed unfettered control over Americans’ money and open the door to government oversight of private financial activity.
Stronger Billy who lost Steam
The letter refers directly to Congressman Tom Emmer’s Anti-CBDC Oversight Act, known as HR 1919, which was introduced in June 2025. The bill cleared the House on July 17, but stalled before full Senate approval.
Lawmakers argue that the housing bill’s CBDC language amounts to a revised version of Emmer’s legislation — one that removes more stringent provisions.
Critically, the housing bill allows the central bank to study and investigate CBDCs, something HR 1919 blocked.
“The strong language of HR1919 must be restored,” the letter states. A separate measure, the No CBDC Act, introduced by Senator Mike Lee in February 2025, also called for a complete ban but has not progressed.
What is at stake in the Word?
The difference between a temporary freeze and a full ban can seem like a technical one. This is not. The 2031 cutoff will allow future administrations and Federal Reserve officials to revisit the question after the political climate changes.
The 29 signatories argue that opens the door – and that’s exactly what they want closed. Cloud’s letter called a digital dollar “fundamentally anti-American,” citing concerns about civil liberties and the concentration of financial power in an unelected body.
Whether Congress passes a permanent stand-alone ban or rewrites the housing law remains unclear, but the letter suggests the battle is far from over.
Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView
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