Senator Ted Cruz (TX-R) has proposed a resolution that would require providers within the Capitol area to work with payment providers that accept bitcoin.
The proposal specifically mentions that restaurants, gift shops, and vending machines inside the Capitol buildings should work with people who accept cryptocurrencies like bitcoin, which would allow lawmakers in the United States to buy their takeout snacks with solid money as they are please.
Senator Ted Cruz has been an outspoken advocate for bitcoin before, Saying that, “One of the reasons I am bullish on Bitcoin is because it is decentralized. The left hate Bitcoin because they can’t control it.”
Senator Cruz also sees the Benefits of bitcoin mining as a potential boon for Texas, a state that has been at the forefront of the industry since China’s bitcoin mining ban and subsequent hash rate exodus in 2021.
While the move for acceptance into providers may be perceived as inconsequential, if approved, it could serve as the first major exposure for politicians on Capitol Hill to use BTC as an everyday payment method. Bitcoin can be an abstract concept for those who haven’t seen its use in a payments environment, so small resolutions like this can change the perspectives of an undecided politician. The resolution must be approved by both the House and the Senate for it to enter into force.