# U.S. House Passes Anti-CBDC Bill

*Author: David Christopher*
*Published: May 23, 2024*
*Source: https://www.bankless.com/read/house-anti-cbdc-bill*

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The U.S. House of Representatives just [passed H.R. 5403](https://financialservices.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=409278), the CBDC Anti-Surveillance State Act, spearheaded by Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-M.N.). The bill seeks to block the issuance of a central bank digital currency (CBDC) without approval from Congress.

### What's the scoop?
- The bill, which 213 Republicans and 3 Democrats voted for, is aimed at blocking the Federal Reserve, i.e. the U.S. central banking system, from issuing a CBDC without authorization from Congress. 
- Now set for a vote in the Senate, the legislation aims to ensure any potential U.S. CBDC project aligns with American privacy values, individual sovereignty, and free market competitiveness.
- “We’ve already seen examples of governments weaponizing their financial system against their own citizens. For example, the Chinese Communist Party uses a CBDC to track spending habits of its citizens," Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.) said on the bill's passing “That type of financial surveillance has no place in the United States."

### Bankless take:
It remains to be seen whether this legislation can pass through the Senate or consequently survive a veto by President Biden. However, with [113 countries](https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/cbdctracker/) researching, developing, or circulating a CBDC, the bill shows that America's political leadership is also increasingly thinking about a national digital currency and how to keep it aligned with American values and free from undue government surveillance.

[![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e4/b7/e4b77544-5a37-4f0b-8824-8440aa348476/content/images/2024/05/image---2024-05-23T131054.433.png)](https://x.com/GOPMajorityWhip/status/1793702392896410054)*via [X](https://x.com/GOPMajorityWhip/status/1793702392896410054)*