US Senate Moves to Block a Digital Dollar Until 2030 in Bipartisan Housing Bill

TLDR

• A US Senate housing bill includes an amendment banning the Federal Reserve from issuing a CBDC until December 31, 2030
• The bill was introduced by Senate Banking Committee Chairman Tim Scott and Ranking Member Elizabeth Warren in a rare bipartisan move
• The White House issued a statement supporting the bill and explicitly backing the CBDC ban, citing privacy and liberty concerns
• The bill passed a procedural cloture vote 84–6, clearing the way for full Senate floor consideration
• Stablecoins are exempt from the ban, provided they are open, permissionless, and private

A US Senate bill aimed at boosting housing has quietly included a provision that would ban the Federal Reserve from issuing a central bank digital currency (CBDC) until the end of 2030.

The legislation, called the “21st Century ROAD to Housing Act,” was introduced on Monday by Senate Banking Committee Chairman Tim Scott and Ranking Member Elizabeth Warren. The CBDC ban takes up just two pages of the 303-page bill.

The bill passed a key procedural cloture vote 84–6, clearing the way for full Senate floor debate. That vote signals broad support across party lines.

The White House issued a statement backing the bill. It specifically called out the CBDC ban, saying a digital dollar could “pose significant threats to personal privacy and liberty.”

The ban would stop the Federal Reserve or any Federal Reserve bank from issuing a CBDC “directly or indirectly through a financial institution or other intermediary.” The prohibition includes a sunset clause that expires December 31, 2030.

After that date, new legislation would be needed to keep the ban in place. Congress would have to act again to extend or make the restriction permanent.

What Is and Isn’t Covered

The bill carves out an exception for stablecoins. Dollar-denominated currencies that are “open, permissionless, and private” and preserve the privacy protections of physical cash would still be allowed.

Neither Senator Scott nor Senator Warren mentioned the CBDC provision in their public statements about the bill. Both focused on housing affordability and regulatory reform.

Previous Attempts to Block a US CBDC

Congressman Tom Emmer introduced the “Anti-CBDC Surveillance State Act” in June 2025. That bill passed a House vote on July 17, 2025, but has not yet cleared the full Senate.

The current housing bill revives that same language and attaches it to legislation with broader political support.

Globally, only three countries have fully deployed a CBDC: Nigeria, Jamaica, and The Bahamas. Another 49 nations, including China, Russia, India, and Brazil, are actively testing digital currencies.

The European Union is in a pilot phase. Germany’s central bank president publicly supported a digital euro in February.

The US Senate housing bill is now positioned for a full floor vote, with the CBDC ban included as written.

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