Patrick Witt pauses White House crypto role as CLARITY Act nears Senate vote

Patrick Witt, the executive director of the White House President’s Council of Advisors for Digital Assets, is entering a months‑long Army National Guard Judge Advocate General training program beginning July 27. While on leave, his duties on the Digital Asset Market CLARITY Act will be transferred to deputy director Harry Jung.

The CLARITY Act (H.R. 3633) seeks to delineate regulatory authority between the SEC and CFTC over digital assets. It cleared the Senate Banking Committee in May and is approaching a Senate vote before the August recess and November midterms, but its progress is stalled by unresolved ethics language concerning lawmakers’ financial interests. Witt’s temporary departure creates a leadership vacuum at a critical juncture for the bill’s advancement.