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House rejects appeal by Rep. Iwamoto seeking recusal over bitcoin-linked holdings
Summary
Representative Iwamoto asked to be recused from votes on a consumer-protection bill because she holds shares in a mutual fund that trades Bitcoin; the Speaker ruled there was no conflict and the House defeated Iwamoto’s appeal of that ruling by roll-call vote, 47–4.
Representative Kim Iwamoto asked the full House to excuse her from voting on a consumer-protection bill, saying she ‘‘holds shares in a mutual fund that buys and sells Bitcoin’’ and that the holdings could be affected by the measure.
The presiding officer ruled that no conflict existed under House rules because the bill would apply to a broad class of mutual-fund shareholders, and therefore Representative Iwamoto would be required to vote. Iwamoto appealed that ruling and requested a roll-call vote.
Members debated whether the chair’s determination should stand. After the clerk called the roll, the presiding officer announced there were 47 ayes and 4 nos; the appeal was defeated and the House returned to consideration of committee reports.
The proceeding left intact the Speaker’s interpretation of recusal under the cited house rules and generated a recorded roll-call result that resolved the immediate dispute.
The House then continued with its agenda; no further action on the underlying consumer-protection bill is recorded in the transcript.
