Why Gillibrand believes the CLARITY Act will pass in 2026

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand took the Consensus Miami 2026 mainstage on Day 2 and expressed optimism about the CLARITY Act’s prospects in Congress, appearing alongside Kevin O’Leary and Coinbase’s Paul Grewal.

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand took the mainstage at Consensus Miami 2026 on Wednesday alongside Kevin O’Leary and Coinbase executive Paul Grewal, expressing optimism that the CLARITY Act can advance through Congress before the May 21 Memorial Day deadline. Her appearance came as the Senate Banking Committee moves toward what may be its last viable markup window for the legislation this cycle.

Gillibrand said she is optimistic about the bill’s path and weighed in on both AI regulation and the 2026 midterm outlook for Democrats. Her comments added a Democratic voice to the Consensus stage at a moment when the CLARITY Act’s fate depends heavily on bipartisan support in the Senate Banking Committee.

As crypto.news reported, Chair Tim Scott has secured most Republican votes but Senator John Kennedy has withheld support, leaving the path to markup unresolved. Senator Thom Tillis separately raised a new complication: law enforcement groups oppose a DeFi developer liability provision in the bill. Senators Cynthia Lummis and Bernie Moreno have both said failure before May 21 pushes the next realistic window to 2030.

Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse told the Consensus crowd on Day 1 that the past week represented a “big positive shift” in Senate momentum, while banking groups have continued to push back on stablecoin yield provisions.

Gillibrand’s Day 2 remarks signal that at least some Democrats are prepared to provide the bipartisan cover the bill needs to reach a floor vote, a dynamic that may prove decisive before Memorial Day recess closes the window entirely.