Close to 100 Catholic bishops and church leaders have sent a letter to Senate leadership opposing the CLARITY Act, arguing that one of its core provisions would weaken federal safeguards against human trafficking and other financial crimes ahead of a Senate floor vote.
The letter, addressed to Senate Majority Leader John Thune and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, was sent Tuesday by the Alliance to End Human Trafficking (AEHT), an umbrella organization backed by Catholic religious congregations. Punchbowl News first reported the letter, which The Block separately obtained. Signatories include leaders from the Sisters of Saint Joseph of Philadelphia, Sisters of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and the Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes.
The group's objection centers on Section 604 of the CLARITY Act, which codifies the Blockchain Regulatory Certainty Act (BRCA). That provision would establish that non-custodial blockchain software developers are not money transmitters and bear no liability for crimes committed by users of their platforms. The Catholic-affiliated coalition contends the language would introduce regulatory gaps exploitable by traffickers, organized crime networks, and sanctions evaders.
