Senator Ted Cruz has proposed a bill in the Senate that would allow crypto payments at vending machines on Capitol Hill.
Cruz introduced the bill on January 25. If accepted, it could alter the use of vending machines and food service vendors at the US Capitol to use cryptocurrency as a form of payment.
The amendments were proposed in a call concurrent resolution, which, according to the Senate website, is often used to make or amend regulations that apply to both houses. The bill would still need to be adopted by the House and Senate to become law, though it would not require the president’s signature.
Over time, Texas has become a hub for mining cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin (BTC), and Cruz has primarily embraced this sector. The senator stated that he was happy to lead the fight for crypto business in the Senate during a visit to a mining operation last summer.
Pro-Crypto Lawmakers Propose More Bills in the US
Cruz has long been a vocal advocate of cryptocurrency, praising BTC in particular for its decentralization. The senator bought between $15,000 and $50,000 BTC value last year. At the time, a sell-off raised concerns about a crypto winter. Bitcoin was selling for between $36,000 and $37,000.
He is one of eight recognized crypto investors in Congress, according to the “Bitcoin Politicians” crowdsourced data project. Those are the acquaintances, while other politicians in the US have even been accepting bitcoin salaries.
Pat Toomey, a senator from Pennsylvania, and Cynthia Lummis, a senator from Wyoming and author of the pro-crypto legislation, are also pro-crypto and have tabled proposals regarding innovation. Most notably, Pat Toomey recently sponsored a stablecoin bill to create a regulatory framework for payments.
On the other hand, Senator Cruz wants to make Texas a haven for bitcoin and other cryptos. He argues that it could be used in crypto mining to monetize energy spent extracting oil and gas and as a substitute for traditional energy storage.
