Emmer's Four-Year Fight Against Digital Dollar Succeeds in Bipartisan Housing Bill

Tom Emmer, the Republican House Majority Whip from Minnesota, has finally achieved his goal of banning Federal Reserve central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) in the United States. After several failed attempts to pass a standalone bill, the prohibition was attached to a bipartisan housing-affordability package, the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, which became law without a signature on July 11, 2026.

The ban blocks the Fed from issuing a digital dollar directly to the public or indirectly through banks and other intermediaries until December 31, 2030. This is narrower than Emmer's original standalone bill, which would have prohibited CBDCs permanently. The move changes the planning horizon for anyone building dollar payment rails in the United States.

Emmer has been pushing for a CBDC ban since 2022 and has introduced several bills on blockchain policy. His flagship bill, the Anti-CBDC Surveillance State Act (H.R.1919), passed the House in July 2025 but stalled in the Senate. The Blockchain Regulatory Certainty Act, which Emmer co-chairs, aims to clarify regulatory definitions around digital assets.