Don Beyer opposes crypto tax bill, accuses Trump of corruption
The Virginia Democrat proposed amendments to ban officials from holding digital assets while in office as the Digital Asset Tax Certainty Act cleared committee 38-5
A House committee advanced a crypto tax bill on September 16, 2026, and the vote was about as tidy as it sounds on paper: 38 to 5. But the five-vote dissent came with a speech, a set of proposed amendments, and a corruption accusation aimed directly at the sitting president.
Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.) used the House Ways and Means Committee markup of the Digital Asset Tax Certainty Act to make his position unmistakably clear, accusing President Trump of exploiting the presidency for personal financial gain in the crypto space.
What the bill actually does
The Digital Asset Tax Certainty Act, introduced as H.R. 10357 by Rep. Jason Smith (R-Mo.), is built around one core premise: the current tax treatment of digital assets creates more confusion than clarity.
The bill’s most discussed provision is a $10 de minimis exemption for transaction fees. In practice, that means small crypto purchases or transfers wouldn’t trigger a taxable event every time a user pays a minor network fee.
Beyer’s case against the bill
Beyer’s objections ran deeper than standard opposition-party dissent. He proposed amendments that would prohibit top government officials from holding or profiting from digital assets while in office, and would require divestment of any existing crypto holdings upon taking office.
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The framing was pointed. Beyer has previously described Trump as the most corrupt president in American history in connection with Trump’s crypto dealings, a characterization that set the tone for his committee remarks.
Trump and his affiliates are estimated to have generated somewhere between $800 million and $2.3 billion from crypto ventures since returning to office, according to the research findings.
Beyer’s proposed amendments did not pass. The bill advanced in its original form.
Senate turbulence one day earlier
The committee vote came one day after a notable stumble in the upper chamber. The Senate Clarity Act, a related piece of crypto legislation, failed a procedural vote by a margin of 49 to 50, falling just short of what it needed to advance.