Pro-crypto Representative Tom Emmer beat Texas Representative August Pfluger 103-76 in a secret ballot to become House Republican minority whip, according to Politico. He will serve as the party's second-highest leader under incoming Minority Leader Jim Jordan when Democrats take control of Congress in January.
Emmer helped establish the Congressional Crypto Caucus in March 2025 with Representative Ritchie Torres. He is an original cosponsor of the CLARITY Act and introduced the Blockchain Regulatory Certainty Act, which seeks to clarify that blockchain developers and infrastructure providers who do not control customer funds are not money transmitters under federal law.
As minority whip, Emmer will rally Republican votes, coordinate the party's legislative strategy and help maintain unity on key bills. GOP Senator Cynthia Lummis said on X that Emmer "has been one of the strongest advocates for digital assets in Congress" and "has led the fight against a government-controlled CBDC and stood up for American innovators."
Democrats control the floor calendar starting January, so Emmer's vote-counting power applies only within his own caucus. Fear & Greed sits at 29, down from a 45 thirty-day average. The first test comes when bipartisan crypto legislation reaches the House floor and shows whether Emmer can deliver Republican votes in numbers that move bills forward.
Source: CoinTelegraph