Sen. Ted Cruz files amendment SA 4318 to make the Senate’s CBDC ban permanent, removing the 2030 sunset from the housing bill.
Senator Ted Cruz is not letting a temporary ban be enough. The Texas Republican filed amendment SA 4318 to strike the 2030 sunset clause on the CBDC ban in the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act. He wants the prohibition to be permanent.
The amendment targets a provision that bars the Federal Reserve from issuing a retail central bank digital currency directly to individuals. Cruz plans to push for a floor vote soon, with Senate action expected the week of March 10, 2026.
🚨NEW: @SenTedCruz (R-TX) filed an amendment to strike the sunset provision on the CBDC ban in the Senate’s 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, which will likely have a series of votes next week.
Sources close to Cruz tell me he plans to push for a vote on the amendment.
Note:… pic.twitter.com/5dhVccJxEm
— Eleanor Terrett (@EleanorTerrett) March 6, 2026
Cruz Takes a Hard Line Against Temporary CBDC Restrictions
The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act advanced in the Senate on March 2, 2026. The bipartisan bill focuses on cutting regulations and modernizing HUD programs to boost U.S. housing supply.
However, it also includes a temporary ban on the Federal Reserve issuing a retail CBDC to the public.
Cruz and his allies see a problem with the word “temporary.” They argue that a time-limited ban could actually work as an on-ramp.
Once the 2030 deadline passes, they warn, a different administration or Fed leadership could move forward with CBDC development. That concern is what drove Cruz to file Amendment SA 4318.
Cruz has been vocal on this issue for some time. He introduced the Senate version of the Anti-CBDC Surveillance State Act (S. 1124) in March 2025. That bill is the Senate companion to House legislation that has stalled over the years.
His latest move follows the same logic: stop any future pathway for a government-monitored digital dollar before it opens.
Related Reading: U.S. House Resurfaces Anti-CBDC Bill in CLARITY Act, Preparing for Senate Review
House Members Signal Resistance to the Sunset Clause
Cruz is not alone in pushing back on the temporary nature of the ban. Several House members have publicly called for a permanent restriction. Rep.
Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) is among those who have spoken out against the sunset clause. Rep. Michael Cloud led a letter with over 31 signatories raising the same concern.
Their message is clear. Without a permanent ban, the housing bill could face serious resistance in the House. Some lawmakers have warned the legislation could stall or even die if stronger CBDC language is not added before it reaches the House floor.
Privacy and surveillance concerns sit at the center of the debate. Critics of CBDCs argue that a retail digital currency issued directly by the Federal Reserve would give the government direct visibility into individual financial transactions.
That level of oversight, they say, is a threat to financial privacy.
Cruz’s amendment aims to close that door entirely. If it passes, the CBDC ban in the housing bill would no longer carry an expiration date.
The push reflects a broader effort among Republican lawmakers to prevent federal digital currency infrastructure from taking root under any future political conditions.
