Patrick Witt Delays Guard Training to Push CLARITY Act

Patrick Witt, the White House’s lead negotiator on crypto policy, has deferred mandatory JAG training with the Georgia Army National Guard so he can stay in Washington and work on the CLARITY Act ahead of the Senate recess on Aug. 8.

Witt had been scheduled to begin the Judge Advocate General course on July 27. In a post on X, he wrote that he was set to leave for mandatory training but that his training has been deferred and he will be able to “see this effort through to the end.” The JAG course would qualify him to serve as a legal officer in the Georgia Guard. Witt previously postponed the same training in April to remain at the White House while negotiations continued.

The CLARITY Act would establish a federal regulatory framework for the U.S. cryptocurrency market. The bill must clear the Senate before lawmakers leave for the August recess. Witt is the executive director of the President’s Council of Advisors for Digital Assets and has led White House talks with lawmakers and industry stakeholders on the bill’s provisions.

Negotiators have been working to build bipartisan support by adding consumer protections and other provisions. Deputy Director Harry Jung, who had been expected to assume Witt’s duties during a military absence, announced he will leave the White House in two weeks. Jung wrote on X that he will “leave government service with immense gratitude” and expressed pride in the council’s work over the past two years.

The bill would set rules for exchanges, stablecoins and other market participants. Backers contend it would provide legal certainty for businesses and investors. Critics have raised concerns about certain regulatory approaches and the scope of consumer protections, prompting ongoing talks to adjust the text before a Senate vote.

With fewer than two weeks until the recess, Witt’s decision keeps the White House’s lead negotiator in place as senators prepare to consider the final bill on the Senate floor.