You were one of more than a dozen house Dams that signed a letter to the DNC on Friday urging it to endorse more Crypto-friendly policies and actions Among them the letter called for the Inclusion of pro digital asset language In its platform and the appointment of a Pro Innovation regulator to take the Helm at the SEC so what now well you Know I mean we we've got a whole a whole New reset on the Cong on the race for President so this is an exciting time to Talk about the future of digital Innovation in the US you know and uh a Fresh new perspective is emerging in the Democratic party we've been working Really hard to make sure that we keep uh The future of web 3 as a bipartisan Issue um you know whether you you love Crypto or you hate it it's not going Anywhere uh so we need to you know Continue making the case to to you know U protect consumers you know bolster us Competitiveness and certainly to Foster Innovation here in the US those are the Things that we're working on uh in Congress right now we just passed uh for The first time ever in our nation's History a bipartisan Bill to to regulate Crypto uh fit 21 uh passed with 71 Democrats that was a big deal for this Congress you know we we've only done Bipartisan things in Congress for Must-pass legislation so this was the
First piece of policy that wasn't Must-pass that we got done and um you Know I'm proud of the the the great Coalition that we built and and um and Continuing to push you know in Nashville And and everywhere else to to make the Good public policy case for why we need To to uh regulate this technology and Keep those jobs here in the US also over The weekend reports circulating about Kamla Harris's advisors reaching out to Members of the crypto community and of Course some are really hoping that they Can take that as a positive signal and Many others are more skeptical uh when I Talk to people or when I you know log on To crypto Twitter uh I'm seeing a lot of Messaging around this idea that actions Speak louder than words and that some Some in crypto have been burned way too Many times by this Administration to Sort of allow themselves to have that Hope and that belief that there could be A sentiment shift coming uh you know From from Harris or from the Democrats Or from um you know the current Biden Administration what do you say to that Uh you know she's she's just launched This campaign for president and what do You think she should do or you know if It's if it is the position that she's Taking what do you think it is that she Should do or say and what is really the Reality of that given everything that
She has going on at the moment well you Know I I drafted this letter to to vice President Harris and the DNC talking About the things that I think she ought To do uh we've got 14 house Democrats Who joined me along with some other Elected and and you know Democratic Leaders across the the country so I Think you know our letter outlined some Of the specific specific stuff but but You're right we need to we need to you Know show show you know actions Certainly speak louder than words um the Fact that uh you know she's got this Meeting coming up uh with with her with Her folks and the industry and you know Other leaders in the space I think is Really important that's that's something That that as far as I'm aware hasn't Really happened um under the the current Administration but she's running for President in her own right now and and On a lot of these issues we get to take A reset and my hope is that that uh that The the good public policy arguments We've laid out will will hit home with Uh with vice president Harris and and And you know we can see a new Fresh Approach embracing bipartisanship on This issue uh and uh that's I I think You know for me the future of any any Issue you know if you do it as as you Turn these things into partisan Political footballs you're going to set
The cause back a decade uh but if we Continue to to focus on keeping Innovation here in the US making sure Those jobs stay here that we can protect Our consumers with good regulation and Again we're just trying to get Regulation for the industry uh where Where we've never had anything in our Nation's history uh until this Congress Finally put fit 21 on the floor for a Vote so um it's a new area it's a new Space but uh it's it's one that has Amazing you know potential to Democratize finance to turn Dictatorships into democracies and if we Embrace this technology and get it right You know we're going to be able to help All the folks we represent in a in a Very Major Way what do you make of the crypto voter Uh we we hear things like the Bitcoin President or the crypto election um and It obviously is a growing topic of Interest in this election uh I don't Know if you can quantify it but how Significant to you do you see this base Of I think it's a very significant group Of of uh Americans and from what I Understand you know it's it and and my Per own personal experience is a very Bipartisan group it's evenly split Between Democrats and Republicans and Independents uh it's why I went to Nashville to make the case for for the
Work that Democrats are doing in this Space in Congress you know I I I I I There there are many other voices other Than Gary gendler on this issue and Wanted to make that very clear uh with The letter that we we that I that I I Authored and led as well as you know the Work that we've done in Congress you Know including folks like speaker Pelosi On fit 21 great leadership from Chuck Schumer in the Senate so um you know That's that's I think important and you Know by all accounts I think you're Looking at 20% of registered voters who Own crypto that's a huge segment of the Electorate and um anyone running for President needs to talk to them about These issues and let them know where They stand and you know and In fairness To vice president Harris it's been a Very busy last week so she's had a lot On her plate but um but it's an issue That uh I I'm I'm uh you know very Hopeful that uh will continue to keep in That bipartisan space you are in your First term in a purple State and I guess I'm wondering if you've engaged with Your own constituents on this topic and What they're thinking about it and if You found your pro crypto position to be Useful to your political fortunes um as A representative of North Carolina you I I mean my constituents sent me here to Get things done uh I I I want I flipped
One of just six Republican seats in the Last election uh perfect 50-50 district And the the folks that sent me to Washington wanted me to to go here to Work across the a to get things done and And in this Congress we are on track to Be one of the least productive Congresses in our nation's history uh We've been able to do things in a Bipartisan way when there must pass Legislation so that's debt sealing Budget you know standing with with our Allies and friends in Ukraine Israel and Taiwan uh we were able to do those Things together in Congress this is the First thing that we've done in the house That that is significant major Legislation in a bipartisan way so I've Been working hard for the last year and A half to to move this bill along and um You know I was one of three house Democrats to to you know co-sponsor the Bill at the outset one of six to vote For it in committee and then one of 71 To vote for it on the house floor Including folks like you know speaker Nancy Pelosi um are number two in the House Katherine Clark our number three Democrat in the house Pete Aguilar Number four you know Democrat in the House Ted Lou so we've got a great you Know group of folks from all parts of The party who who are supporting a a Good bipartisan push on this issue and
That's that's really for me been the Focus is what can I get done in this Congress I hoped that immigration reform Was going to be part of that list but uh President Trump realized that the Politics of that were better for him to To have pain and suffering to do nothing So he killed our our bipartisan work on That issue um but you know we we still Have more time to legislate in this Congress even if we can't get things Done when we come back in September We're going to have a lame duck session Where where I'm hopeful that the work We've done in this Congress can can you Know make it to the to the end zone here Um before or after the election I do Want to go back to um you know the Growing by partisan support of crypto That we've talked about throughout this Conversation um what's next in terms of Legislation what are key developments That you are watching Are there specific Uh bills that our that our audience Should be watching and you know given That it is an election year when can we Realistically see something passed you Know well I I think the good news is a Fresh new perspective is emerging within The Democratic party we're seeing good Bipartisan support on um important Public policy wins so in this Congress You I'm very hopeful that we're going to Get stable coin legislation done that's
That's a place where we've got very good Bipartisan support uh Maxine Waters the Ranking member of the House Financial Services committee is very close to Getting that passed I think safe banking Is is part of that uh conversation we Need to we're g to I think one way or Another we will uh uh fix Sab 121 to Allow uh custodial banking uh for the The ETFs for Bitcoin and ether and other Digital assets you know our most Well-regulated banks in the world should Be able to take custody of those assets That's one that I'm I'm feeling very Optimistic about and then fit 21 the Bipartisan um uh uh Bill to to regulate Crypto uh those are the the the the four Big things to watch and um I'm you know Very hopeful that uh we'll be able to Get most if not all of them done um Maybe as part of a bigger package before Or after the election but we've got time When we're in Congress to get these Things done in September and then again In November uh in December of this year So you know for someone like me I'm Going to keep biting and pushing through The last day of Congress to get as much As we can done that'll help the people That that I represent in Congress all right and then final thing I promise um I just want to ask when did You become a proponent of cryptocurrency And what what drove that interest for
You for you know for me it really it's About democratizing Finance the Technology is is absolutely amazing it Has the CH the opportunity for us to to Go around the world and turn Dictatorships into democracies to make Transaction costs much cheaper for the People I represent uh you know average Americans spend so much money so much of Their money moving money around uh this This allows us to to to totally Transform the way that uh we we conduct Business uh in the US and around the World so that the the potential helps so Many people here and if we get it right Uh we're going to have a well-regulated Industry where we can protect consumers And um it's it's a place where you know I think if you look back if you look Back on this interview in 10 years and You're going to be looking at the people Who are against web 3 it's going to be The same it's going to be like saying You were against the internet in the 90s So I think the future's very bright and And you know you're seeing folks you Know certainly within the Democratic Party um you know really embracing this Issue a positive way and that's the Thing that I've been focusing on is uh Is is making sure that that again we Keep this as in a bipartisan space uh in In the US Congress
