Brendan Pedersen, a financial services reporter for Punchbowl News, said that the Credit Card Competition Act was removed from the GENIUS Act process after Majority Leader John Thune limited new amendments. This statement was made on the social media platform X.
"I wrote about tonight's procedural whirlwind around the GENIUS Act in Punchbowl News PM," said Pedersen. "Votes will start Weds and likely end Monday. Majority Leader Thune has filled up the amendment tree and the Credit Card Competition Act via Sen. Marshall (R-Kan.) is stripped out."
Senate Majority Leader Thune employed the procedural tactic known as "filling the amendment tree" during the debate over the GENIUS Act in May 2025. According to Punchbowl News, this maneuver effectively blocked non-germane amendments such as the Credit Card Competition Act and drew criticism for restricting floor debate and regular order.
According to America's Credit Unions, at least two amendments related to the Credit Card Competition Act were filed during the GENIUS Act process. One of these amendments was proposed by Senator Marshall. However, leadership's use of cloture and amendment tree tactics limited further amendment opportunities and significantly curtailed debate.
Wikipedia reports that the Senate's use of "filling the amendment tree" has increased in recent years. This tactic sometimes allows as few as three and up to eleven amendments per bill. Leaders like Harry Reid have employed this tactic more than 50 times in a single term to limit debate and amendments.
Pedersen is a financial services reporter at Punchbowl News who covers banking and regulatory politics. He previously reported for American Banker and Kiplinger’s Personal Finance and now anchors the Vault newsletter focused on Congressional financial issues, according to Punchbowl News.