The housing-affordability bill enacted by Congress with bipartisan support includes a four-year ban on the issuance of a U.S. central bank digital currency (CBDC), preventing the Federal Reserve from issuing a digital dollar during that period. The restriction is scheduled to expire at the end of 2030, at which point the statutory prohibition would no longer be in force. The bill’s language states that the Federal Reserve would not issue a CBDC without authorization from Congress.
The housing-affordability bill advanced through Congress with bipartisan backing and carried explicit language restricting the issuance of a U.S. central bank digital currency; the Senate approved the measure by an 85-5 margin and the House approved it by a 358-32 margin. Under the Constitution, a bill passed by both chambers automatically becomes law after ten days without the president’s signature provided Congress remains in session, and midnight passage is possible if the president does not act.
President Donald Trump publicly refused to sign the housing bill and posted on Truth Social that he would not sign it, characterizing his refusal as a protest tied to the Senate’s failure to pass the SAVE AMERICA ACT. Unless the president actively issues a veto before the statutory deadline, the legislation will become law without his signature under the ten-day rule.
The housing-affordability bill included a significant provision that imposes a four-year ban on the issuance of a central bank digital currency (CBDC) by the Federal Reserve. This ban is set to last until the end of 2030, unless Congress authorizes the issuance of a digital dollar before then.
The insertion of the CBDC ban into the housing bill was a strategic decision that has gained support from various crypto and privacy advocates. These groups argue that a government-issued digital dollar could potentially enable federal surveillance over financial transactions, a concern for those advocating for privacy rights.
The language in the bill specifically restricts the Federal Reserve’s ability to issue a CBDC without explicit authorization from Congress, reinforcing legislative control over significant changes to the financial system.
The four-year ban on a U.S. central bank digital currency included in the housing-affordability bill is a significant legislative action tied to that measure. The provision passed with bipartisan Congressional backing and remains embedded in an active political context in which the president publicly declined to sign the bill and the Constitution’s ten-day rule could allow the legislation to become law without his signature.
