US lawmakers suggest that a temporary ban on CBDCs is not enough; a permanent ban is necessary.

A group of US lawmakers is rallying to prevent the Federal Reserve from issuing a central bank digital currency (CBDC), arguing that the current bill only “delays” it until 2031 rather than completely blocking it.

In a letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, Congressman Michael Cloud wrote that “it is necessary to ban CBDCs in the United States permanently,” and the letter was signed in support by 28 other congressmen.

This move stems from a proposed amendment to the Federal Reserve Act that would prohibit the Fed from issuing CBDCs until 2031. The amendment is part of a 300-page bill called the “21st Century ROAD to Housing Act” (HR 6644), released Monday by the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee.

However, Cloud and his group of lawmakers argue that such a "temporary blockade" is insufficient to protect the American people.

The letter stressed that the ban on CBDCs “must be permanent,” while warning that CBDCs could expose Americans to “unconstitutional financial oversight” and give the Fed – an unelected body – unprecedented power over people’s money, thereby infringing on civil liberties and financial freedom.

The group of lawmakers also called CBDCs "contrary to American values" and an issue that needs to be stopped before it's too late.

They also argue that the amendments in HR 6644 are merely a "toned-down" version of the "Anti-CBDC Surveillance State Act" (HR 1919) proposed by Congressman Tom Emmer in June 2025. HR 1919 was passed by the House on July 17th, but has not yet received full Senate approval.

Additionally, the letter points out that the revised version does not prohibit the Fed from researching CBDCs. The group of lawmakers is requesting the restoration of the “strong” provisions of HR 1919.

Previously, a separate bill called the No CBDC Act (S 464), introduced by Senator Mike Lee in February 2025, aimed to prohibit the Fed or the Treasury Department from issuing CBDCs, but it was stalled in Congress.