Update for XRP Army: A Major US Law Enforcement Group Now Supports CLARITY Act

A one-page letter from the National Sheriffs’ Association just changed its stance on the CLARITY Act, changing the political math on Capitol Hill.

Dated September 3, the letter goes to Senate Majority Leader John Thune and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. It carries two signatures: Sheriff Troy Wellman of Moody County, South Dakota, and NSA Executive Director Justin Smith.

What the Letter Says

The NSA doesn’t endorse H.R. 3633. It moves to neutral. The letter states plainly that the association is “changing its position on the CLARITY Act to neutral.” It cites the bill’s complexity and the number of details still under negotiation. The NSA says it wants to “step back and allow the legislative process to proceed.”

Although it is not a green light as previously suggested, it is a notable retreat from its previous stance of active opposition. Still, for a bill that has spent months fighting resistance from law enforcement and banking interests, a former opponent standing down is a big deal.

The House Problem Hasn’t Gone Away

None of this changes the calendar crunch already squeezing the bill. The Senate holds its first procedural vote on September 15. House Republican leadership canceled the chamber’s final two September sessions. Members leave Washington by September 17 and won’t return until mid-November. That leaves just two days of overlap between the Senate vote and the House’s departure.

Any Senate amendments would need House approval, and lawmakers won’t be in the building to give it. A delay into the post-election period pushes the bill into new political terrain, and Senator Cynthia Lummis has warned that failure to pass the bill could stall crypto regulation until 2030.

How This Could Still Help

A neutral NSA removes one obstacle from a bill still carrying institutional support from Wall Street firms including BlackRock, Goldman Sachs, and Fidelity, plus a recent push from President Trump himself. Fewer active opponents means fewer objections for Senate holdouts to cite.

It also gives supporters a data point to use with wavering Democrats: even a group with public safety concerns has stepped aside. That doesn’t solve the House’s absence, but it strengthens the case for urgency before the September 17 deadline.