Who?Sen. John Boozman (R-AR) — Chair, Senate Agriculture Committee LISTEN: Laslo & BoozmanAsk a Pol asks:Been curious since your crypto press conference, what do you see as the path forward — can the White House go digital currency regulations alone? Key Boozman:“It’s going to take both working together,” Sen. John Boozman exclusively tells Ask a Pol. “There’s definitely a need for legislation. Right now’s the wild west.”ICYMI — Feb. Crypto Presser: Sens. Boozman & Tim Scott w/ David Sacks and Reps. French Hill & Glen ThompsonSource: C-SPAN (but their embed code wasn’t working…) Security or commodity? With the new SEC — Securities and Exchange Commission — actions, it seems like it’s going more to the securities or is there still a commodities argument? “Some of it is and some of it isn’t,” Boozman says. “That’s the big thing, establishing the definitions as to what’s a commodity, what’s a security. One would fall under the SEC and the other one would fall under the CTFC [Commodity Futures Trading Commission]. Some of them are actually both. It’s a little bit hard to understand at times.”Ask a Pol’s FREEE! Sign up to get our latest before your competitors do… ICYMI — Hagerty: state role key to stablecoin bill successCaught our ear:“We, in the near future, will be meeting, just as an informal group,” Boozman tells us. Below find a rough transcript of Ask a Pol’s exclusive interview with Sen. John Boozman (R-AR), slightly edited for clarity.TRANSCRIPT: Sen. John Boozman SCENE: Sen. Boozman and an older aide — possibly his chief of staff — is heading to an early morning meeting of Republican committee chairs via the underground tunnel connecting Senate Office Buildings to the US Capitol when Ask a Pol’s Matt Laslo grabs him for this quick exclusive crypto chat. Matt Laslo: “Morning sir.” John Boozman: “Hey.” ML: “I was curious, I haven’t talked to you since your press conference last week on crypto. What do you see as the path forward?” JB: “Well, I think that was a good start…” Senate tram bell dings. JB: “…you know, getting us all together and making a commitment that we do get started. We, in the near future, will be meeting, just as an informal group. But Sen. Scott’s moving forward on their [Banking] Committee. And our committee, we restructured so crypto would have a greater influence on one of our subcommittees, and I’ve got people on that subcommittee that are involved — are interested in crypto, so I think the biggest thing that we got to do is just get enough people in government confirmed…” Another senator rings the bell to call one of the older underground trams, which are still run by humans. JB: “…that there’s leadership in place that we can work with so we can go forward and eventually.” Enjoy our independent crypto journalism? Consider supporting us!We’re on Venmo, PayPal, Cash App — or just buy us a beer!ML: “When the dust settles…”Boozman whispers to his aide. ML: “…is it still going to be viewed as a commodity or it seems like it’s going more to the securities?” JB: “Some of it — some of it is and some of it isn’t. And that’s the big thing, establishing the definitions as to what’s a commodity, what’s a security. One would fall under the SEC and the other one would fall under the CTFC. Some of them are actually both. It’s a little bit hard to understand at times.”ML: “Yeah?” JB: “So…” ML: “And is that why it’s good that you guys are now working kinda in tandem with Senate Banking and the House?” JB: “Well, and our Democrat colleagues are also interested, and so I think it’s lining up that — people realize on both sides of the aisle, the industry realizes — that the [seamers?] need protection, the industry needs to be regulated, in the sense that will allow it to continue to grow and we won’t loose it overseas.”ML: “And how much action is needed from Congress — or how much can the administration do without you all? Or is that what you’re figuring out?”JB: “Yes. It’s going to take — it’s going to take both working together. There’s definitely a need for legislation. Right now it’s the wild west.” Boozman and his aide look like they have a meeting to attend, so Laslo ushers them to the escalator leading into the Capitol.ML: “I know you got a day job. ‘Preciate ya!” Nicolae Viorel Butler contributed to this report. Content posted at AskaPolcrypto.com is copyrighted. Use our original content to move the story forward. And, please, link to us.What should we ask lawmakers this week? Let us know! Get full access to Ask a Pol crypto at www.askapolcrypto.com/subscribe
