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A ‘Crypto Week’ Win: Congress Passes 1st Major Crypto Legislation in the U.S.

William Attardi on July 18, 2025

The House approved the GENIUS Bill with a 308-122 vote with significant Democratic support, adopting regulations for a type of cryptocurrency known as stablecoins that proponents believe will fundamentally change the world of commerce. It was a remarkable win for the crypto industry — and for President Trump, who campaigned on making the U.S. “the crypto capital of the planet.” The GENIUS Bill, which stands for “Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for U.S. Stablecoin” now heads to the president’s desk for his signature, since the Senate had already approved it last month. The new legislation will put more formal regulations around stablecoins, which is viewed by many as a safer type of cryptocurrency. That’s because companies selling stablecoins have to hold the equivalent dollars in reserve. So if you buy $1 in stablecoin, the issuer that provided you with one has to keep $1 in reserve. That means that when you want to cash it, you can get paid back promptly. Stablecoins are a hot emerging part of the crypto sector. Key industry players believe stablecoins will allow people and companies the ability to transfer money as digital currency anywhere in the world instantaneously, regardless of borders, without onerous and expensive bank or money transfer fees. They believe that the world of credit cards or wire transfers will be completely upended once they are adopted widely. More crypto legislation is expected to follow the GENIUS Act. A ‘Crypto Week’ win: Congress passes 1st major crypto legislation in the U.S. | WBHM 90.3

NEMA Urges Passage of Critical Mineral Legislation

William Attardi on May 2, 2025

A Senate committee unanimously approved the Critical Mineral Consistency Act, legislation aimed at boosting the development of reliable critical mineral supply chains. NEMA Senior Vice President of Public Affairs Spencer Pederson thanked the committee for quickly advancing the legislation and urged lawmakers and President Trump to turn the bill into law. “The advancement of [the bill] through Committee brings us one step closer to reaching our goals by removing dependence on unreliable foreign sources like China for the raw materials that are essential to the electroindustry and will help bolster supply chains,” Pederson said. NEMA urges passage of critical mineral legislation

The Genesis of the U.S. Space Force – On December 20, 2019, President Donald Trump signed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2020, officially creating the United States Space Force, a new and independent branch of the U.S. military. The establishment of the Space Force marked a historic shift in how the U.S. views and manages its military operations in space, reflecting the growing importance of space as both a domain of strategic competition and national security. The Space Force is tasked with ensuring the U.S. maintains its superiority in space, focusing on both the defense of space assets and the development of offensive capabilities. Its mission includes:

  1. Space Operations: Overseeing space-based systems, such as satellites, that provide essential services to the U.S. military, including communication, reconnaissance, and missile defense.
  2. Space Security: Protecting U.S. space infrastructure from threats, including anti-satellite weapons, cyberattacks, and other potential forms of disruption by adversarial nations.
  3. Space Research and Development: Developing and deploying cutting-edge space technologies, including space-based defense systems, that ensure the U.S. maintains an edge in space exploration and military operations.
  4. Supporting National Defense: Integrating space capabilities into broader national defense strategies, ensuring that U.S. forces can operate effectively in space as part of a multi-domain approach to warfare.

The Space Force is designed to streamline and strengthen the U.S. military’s space operations, which were previously under the purview of the U.S. Air Force. By separating space operations into a distinct branch, the government hoped to increase focus on space as a critical area of national defense and enhance the U.S. military’s ability to respond to emerging threats. Source: Day in History