Texas Rep. Keith Self wants to impose an ‘Anti-CBDC Surveillance State’ CBDC ban in the 2026 defense bill, testing Trump’s order and Republican Party unity on digital dollar policy.
Summary
- Representative Keith Self has filed an NDAA amendment to ban the Fed from testing, testing, or issuing U.S. CBDCs, calling it an “Anti-CBDC Surveillance State” measure.
- The move follows Trump’s 2025 executive order halting CBDC work, while Republicans pursue a legal ban that future administrations say they cannot easily reverse.
- House conservatives cite fears of Chinese-style surveillance and warn that support for the $900 billion defense bill could erode if the CBDC ban doesn’t get a basic vote.
Rep. Keith Self, a Republican from Texas, has introduced an amendment to the $900 billion U.S. defense bill that would ban the Federal Reserve from creating or operating a central bank digital currency (CBDC), according to statements made on Dec. 9, 2025.
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The amendment, described by Self as a proposal of an “Anti-CBDC Surveillance State,” would prevent the Federal Reserve from testing, developing or launching any form of CBDC. Yourself declared that promises to include similar language in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) were not honored in the final compromise text.
“Promises to include this language in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) were not kept. My amendment would fix the bill,” Self said in his statement. He added that the House Rules Committee would meet to determine whether the amendment would get a floor vote.
During the 2024 presidential campaign, President Donald Trump characterized CBDCs as a “dangerous threat to freedom” and vowed to prevent the implementation of a Federal Reserve-managed digital dollar. In 2025, Trump signed an executive order directing federal agencies not to develop or promote U.S. CBDC.
Republican lawmakers have sought to impose a permanent legislative ban on CBDCs through changes to the NDAA, citing concerns that executive orders could be reversed by subsequent administrations. Self stated that conservative lawmakers had been assured that anti-CBDC language would be included in the defense authorization bill.
Republican opponents of CBDCs have argued that such a system would provide the federal government with enhanced surveillance capabilities, drawing comparisons to digital payment systems in China. Concerns have been raised about possible government surveillance of transactions and the ability to block payments based on political or social criteria.
According to reports, some Republican lawmakers have indicated they may withdraw support for the defense bill if the amendment does not receive a basic vote.
The House of Representatives passed two related bills in July 2025: the CLARITY Act and the Anti-CBDC Surveillance State Act. Neither has been passed into law. The Anti-CBDC bill seeks to permanently ban any form of US central bank digital currency, while the CLARITY Act establishes regulatory jurisdiction between the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission over cryptocurrency markets. The CLARITY Act also includes consumer protection provisions and proposes regulatory frameworks for decentralized finance and stablecoins.
