US Senator Ted Cruz is maintaining a firm campaign against a US central bank digital currency (CBDC). In the latest development, the junior senator representing Texas has pushed for a permanent CBDC ban in the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, to replace an initial short-term prohibition.
Sen. Cruz Opposes CBDC Development In Perpetuity
In an X post on March 6, independent journalist Eleanor Terrett reports that Senator Cruz has filed an amendment to the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, which seeks to remove the sunset provision on a central bank digital currency prohibition.
The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act represents a bipartisan bill introduced in August 12026, aimed at boosting the US housing supply through zoning reforms and incentives. However, the bill carries a vehicle attachment by Senator Tim Scott and Senator Elizabeth Warren that proposes a sunset provision that enforces a CBDC ban until December 31, 2030.
🚨NEW: @SenTedCruz (R-TX) filed an amendment to strike the sunset provision on the CBDC ban in the Senate’s 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, which will likely have a series of votes next week.
Sources close to Cruz tell me he plans to push for a vote on the amendment.
Note:... pic.twitter.com/5dhVccJxEm
— Eleanor Terrett (@EleanorTerrett) March 6, 2026
Cruz has moved to amend this section of the bill, pushing for a more permanent ban. This development aligns with his 2025 Anti-CBDC Surveillance State Act, which seeks to block Federal Reserve-issued digital dollars over privacy and surveillance risks.
Meanwhile, Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna has also pushed against the idea of a temporary CBDC ban in the Senate’s housing bill, urging a permanent prohibition or potential “nasty” legislative conflict when the bill is sent to the US House of Representatives. Interestingly, the US House has passed the companion to the Anti-CBDC Surveillance State Act in a narrow, party-line vote of 219-210.
The SENATE is sending down a housing bill and it has a temp ban on CBDC’s. This must be CHANGED to a permanent ban. CBDC’s allow for total government control. This will probably get nasty so I am telling everyone now. We would appreciate your air support on this.
— Anna Paulina Luna (@realannapaulina) March 6, 2026
Cruz, alongside other critics, has continuously kicked against CBDCs due to their potential to invade users’ privacy while increasing governance surveillance and potential control of citizens’ spending habits. Meanwhile, supporters of the digital financial product have highlighted benefits such as financial inclusion, higher transaction speed, and lower costs.
For context, CBDCs are a digital form of a country’s official fiat currency (like the US dollar, euro, or naira) that is issued and backed directly by the nation’s central bank. Over 100 central banks across the globe are reportedly presently researching the benefits of these blockchain products. However, implementation is slow, with 11 countries having launched a fully functional CBDC.
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