Who?
Rep. Glenn Thompson (R-PA) — Chair, House Agriculture Committee
LISTEN: Laslo & Thompson
Ask a Pol asks:
Are you worried this Congress is more partisan when it comes to all things, especially digital assets?
Example I: House Financial Services Ranking Member Maxine Waters (D-CA) continuously deriding what she calls President Donald Trump’s “crypto cabinet.”
Example II: Senate Banking Committee Ranking Member Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) perpetually attacking Trump’s Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) chair nominee Paul Atkins for what she calls “breathtaking” conflicts of interest.
Key Thompson:
“No. Trust me, it's not. It's perhaps loud voices that are over represented in the media,” Chair Glenn Thompson exclusively tells Ask a Pol. “We all recognize, I think, that this is a growing part of our economy. And we want — just like the United States was the leader of Internet 1.0, which was the Internet of Knowledge, and Internet 2.0, what we're living today, the Internet of Things — America needs to be to lead and dominate Internet 3.0, which is the Internet of Value.”
Ag Committee focus:
“I deal with the digital commodities side of it,” Thompson says.
ICYMI — Lummis feeling bullish on stablecoin in Senate…
Caught our ear:
It’s kinda felt like the House Financial Services and Senate banking Committees were taking the lead on digital assets this Congress, but you’re saying that’s not the case?
“No, nah-uh. It's a good mutual partnership,” Thompson tells us. “Which is nice, because, I mean, I had a great relationship with [fmr. House Financial Services Chai6r] Patrick [McHenry] (R-NC), but [House Financial Services Chair] French Hill’s (R-AR) a very close friend too.”
Below find a rough transcript of Ask a Pol’s exclusive interview with Rep. Glenn Thompson (R-PA), slightly edited for clarity.
TRANSCRIPT: Chair Glenn Thompson
SCENE: Ahead of the last vote series of the week, Ask a Pol’s Matt Laslo bumps into House Agriculture Committee Chair Glenn Thompson as he makes his way to the House floor via an underground tunnel.
Matt Laslo: “Hey, how are you?”
Glenn Thompson: “I’m good. How are you?”
ML: “Living the dream.”
GT: “We are.”
ML: “You’re on Ag, right? Where are you on crypto? What do you make of…”
GT: “Oh, I led the bill Fit 21 last time around. It passed with bipartisan support in both committee and off the House floor.”
ML: “Are you worried…”
GT: “I deal with the digital commodities side of it.”
ML: “Are you worried this Congress it seems like it's more partisan…?”
GT: “No…”
ML: “…at least here in the House.”
REFRESHER: The US House passed the FIT Act last May
GT: “…trust me, it's not.”
ML: “Oh, really?”
GT: “No.”
Thompson shakes head no. .
ML: “It just looks that way from the distance?”
What should we ask lawmakers this week? Let us know!
GT: “It's perhaps loud voices…”
Thompson laughs.
ML: “Yeah?”
GT: “…that are over represented in the media. But it's a — we all recognize, I think, that this is a growing part of our economy. And we want — just like the United States was the leader of Internet 1.0, which was the Internet of Knowledge, and Internet 2.0, what we're living today, the Internet of Things — America needs to be to lead and dominate Internet 3.0, which is the Internet of Value.”
ML: “Yeah? Do you see this timeline happening pretty quickly? Or is it getting dislodged because of budget…?”
GT: “No, we've got a number of — on the Ag Committee side, we have a number of…”
Thompson and Laslo are traversing an underground tunnel known to confuse even veterans of Capitol Hill.
GT: “…well, we have our [Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities, Risk Management & Credit] that handles this, led by [Rep.] Dusty Johnson (R-SD)...”
ML: “Yeah.”
GT: “…has a hearing time set. Same day actually — Financial Services Subcommittee’s meeting the same day. And then we're going to be doing a joint hearing...”
ML: “Oh, interesting.”
GT: “…with with HAC [House Agriculture Committee] and House Financial Services. And then I think…”
ML: “It’s kinda felt like Financial Services was taking the lead this time, but no?”
GT: “No, nah-uh. It's a good mutual partnership.”
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ML: “Interesting. Nice.”
GT: “Which is nice, because, I mean, I had a great relationship with [fmr. House Financial Services Chair] Patrick [McHenry] (R-NC).”
ML: “Yeah, right?”
GT: “But [House Financial Services Chair] French Hill’s a very close friend too.”
ML: “And it seems like with [Senate Financial Services Committee Chair Tim] Scott (R-SC) and [Senate Agriculture Committee Chair John] Boozman (R-AR), we kinda have the same dynamics over there?”
GT: “Yes. Yeah.”
Thompson arrives at a Member’s Only elevator so he can go vote on the floor of the House of Representatives.
ML: “Cool. I'll be watching.”
Laslo starts heading back to the tunnel.
GT: “So that’s exciting.”
ML: “Yep. You have a good one, sir.”
GT: “You too.”
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