House committee leaders urge Trump to nominate CFTC members, citing CLARITY Act

Written by Turner Wright⁠, Staff Writer. Reviewed by Sam Bourgi⁠, Staff Editor. Written by Turner Wright⁠, Staff Writer. Reviewed by Sam Bourgi⁠, Staff Editor. House committee leaders urge Trump to nominate CFTC members, citing CLARITY ActLatest NewsPublishedMay 15, 2026

The US Commodity Futures Trading Commission is currently headed by Chair Michael Selig, with no public statement from Donald Trump about fully staffing the five-member panel of commissioners.

The Republican chair and Democratic ranking member of the US House of Representatives Committee on Agriculture have called on President Donald Trump to fully staff the leadership at a key financial regulator, citing the potential impact of a crypto market structure bill.

In a Friday letter to Trump, House Agriculture Committee Chair Glenn Thompson and ranking member Angie Craig asked the president to “nominate a full panel” of bipartisan leaders for the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). The representatives cited “urgent regulatory issues” facing the US regulator in addition to a “significant rulemaking process” required if the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act (CLARITY) becomes law.

“Ensuring the Commission is well-equipped as the leading derivatives markets regulator in the world is a bipartisan priority for the members of our Committee,” said Thompson and Craig. “A complete commission will allow the agency to best fulfill its mandate of promoting integrity, resilience, and vibrancy of US derivatives markets and will advance US leadership.”

Source: US House Agriculture Committee

Michael Selig is currently the sole commissioner at the CFTC, taking over after the resignation of acting chair Caroline Pham in December 2025. Under Selig, the commission has taken many positions aligning with the administration’s policies, including claiming “exclusive jurisdiction” over prediction markets.

Related: CFTC no-action letter eases event contract reporting rules

In an April hearing with the House Agriculture Committee, Selig said he had no intention of “slow[ing] down” on rulemaking, despite the lack of four other commissioners. The CFTC chair signed a memorandum of understanding with the US Securities and Exchange Commission in March to coordinate oversight of markets, including digital assets.

The CFTC under the CLARITY Act

On Thursday, lawmakers in the Senate Banking Committee voted to advance the CLARITY Act, setting the bill up for a potential floor vote in the chamber. The bill, expected to give the CFTC more authority in overseeing and regulating digital asset markets, would have significant implications for crypto users and companies.

Although the Senate had not scheduled a vote for the bill as of Friday, the dearth of leadership at the CFTC hasn’t gone unnoticed by lawmakers considering crypto market structure. Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar, who sits on the Senate Agriculture Committee, proposed an amendment to the bill in January requiring that it not take effect “until at least four [CFTC] commissioners” were nominated and confirmed.

As of Friday, Trump had not publicly announced any picks for CFTC commissioners. Any nominations would likely need weeks or months to move through the Senate for consideration and potential votes.

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• CFTC
• United States
• Government
• Politics
• Regulation

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