Begich, Emmer call for final push on crypto legislation in new national op-ed

In a high-profile joint op-ed published Monday in the cryptocurrency news outlet CoinDesk, Alaska Congressman Nick Begich and House Majority Whip Tom Emmer of Minnesota made a forceful case for finalizing a Republican-led legislative framework for cryptocurrency and digital assets.

The column spotlights Begich’s growing stature in Congress as a leading voice on financial innovation, alongside Emmer, a senior member of Republican leadership, who attended college at University of Alaska Fairbanks.

The two lawmakers celebrated the recent signing of the Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for U.S. Stablecoins (GENIUS) Act by President Donald Trump. The bill, championed in the Senate by Sen. Bill Hagerty, establishes the first federal regulatory framework for payment stablecoins, which are digital tokens pegged to secure assets such as the US dollar. According to Begich and Emmer’s column, the measure brings “clear rules that promote transparency, protect consumers, and boost demand for U.S. Treasuries,” while reinforcing the dollar’s dominance in global commerce.

Calling the bill a “major win for American leadership in digital finance,” Begich and Emmer argued it was only the first step. They urged the Senate to swiftly pass the Digital Asset Market Structure Clarity (CLARITY) Act, spearheaded by Financial Services Chairman French Hill, which recently cleared the House. The CLARITY Act would establish clear regulatory distinctions between digital commodities and traditional securities, giving defined oversight roles to both the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and the Securities and Exchange Commission.

“Without the CLARITY Act, the rules governing digital assets will remain fragmented, confusing, and vulnerable to politicization,” they wrote, warning that under the Biden administration, “regulatory ambiguity was weaponized” and drove crypto innovation overseas. They pointed to the collapse of offshore exchange FTX as a consequence of the United States’ previous lack of regulatory clarity.

Begich and Emmer framed the new Republican agenda as a reversal of the previous administration’s hostility toward digital finance, noting that President Trump has embraced American leadership in blockchain through recent executive actions, support for bitcoin reserves, and backing from “the most pro-crypto Congress in U.S. history.”

In addition to market structure reforms, the op-ed pressed the Senate to advance the Anti-CBDC Surveillance State Act, which would ban the Federal Reserve from issuing a central bank digital currency (CBDC). The two congressmen described CBDCs as a threat to civil liberties, likening them to the surveillance tools used by authoritarian regimes, including the Chinese Communist Party.

“We must draw a firm line in defense of American freedom,” they wrote, adding, “We cannot unleash a new era of innovation while leaving the door open for future administrations to turn that same technology against our own citizens.”

Begich and Emmer closed their argument by framing digital asset innovation as a bipartisan opportunity. “This isn’t a Republican issue or a Democratic issue. It’s an American issue,” they wrote, appealing to Americans of all ages and regions.

With the GENIUS Act now law and President Trump signaling full-throttle support for crypto innovation, the two Republican lawmakers said Congress must “finish the job” by delivering the rest of the digital asset legislative package to the president’s desk.

Begich’s rising influence on Capitol Hill has been noted among Republican circles, with his focus on economic freedom, technology, and individual financial sovereignty placing him at the forefront of a new generation of House leadership. Emmer, serving as Majority Whip, provides crucial leadership backing as Republicans aim to reshape U.S. financial regulation for the digital age.