House Ag leaders urge Trump to fill CFTC before CLARITY vote

House Agriculture Committee Chair Glenn Thompson and ranking member Angie Craig sent a letter to President Donald Trump on Friday asking him to nominate a full, bipartisan panel of commissioners to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission before Congress votes on the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act.

In the letter the two lawmakers asked the president to “nominate a full panel,” citing “urgent regulatory issues” and a “significant rulemaking process” that they say would follow if the CLARITY Act becomes law. They wrote a complete commission is needed for the agency to fulfill its duties and to maintain U.S. leadership in derivatives markets.

Michael Selig is currently the lone commissioner at the CFTC after acting chair Caroline Pham resigned in December 2025. Under Selig, the agency has taken several actions aligned with administration priorities, including asserting “exclusive jurisdiction” over certain prediction markets and signing a memorandum of understanding with the Securities and Exchange Commission in March to coordinate oversight of markets, including digital assets.

At an April hearing before the House Agriculture Committee, Selig testified that he did not plan to slow rulemaking despite the absence of additional confirmed commissioners.

The Senate Banking Committee voted on Thursday to advance the CLARITY Act, setting the bill up for a possible floor vote. The legislation would expand the CFTC’s authority to oversee and regulate digital asset markets, affecting crypto firms and other market participants.

Lawmakers in both chambers have raised questions about how the CFTC would carry out new responsibilities without a full slate of commissioners. In January, Senator Amy Klobuchar offered an amendment that would prevent the CLARITY Act from taking effect until at least four CFTC commissioners are nominated and confirmed.

The Thompson-Craig letter noted that the White House had not announced any nominations as of Friday. Presidential picks must be sent to the Senate and typically require weeks or months to clear committee consideration and confirmation votes. The timing of nominations could determine whether the CLARITY Act, if enacted, is implemented immediately or delayed pending a fuller commission.

The CFTC is a five-member agency and certain regulatory actions depend on the number and balance of confirmed commissioners. Thompson and Craig described filling the vacancies as a bipartisan priority to enable the agency to “promote integrity, resilience, and vibrancy of US derivatives markets.”