Minnesota Representative, a longstanding crypto supporter, might become the first U.S. Congressman to take his salary in Bitcoin.
In a recent podcast interview with popular BTC bull Anthony Pompliano, Rep. Tom Emmer (R-MN) noted that he would take a portion of his salary in Bitcoin. The host asked Rep. Emmer whether he would use a service that converts some of his earnings into the primary cryptocurrency.
“Why not?” the Congressman said. “I think I would take advantage of it and I think that other people would.”
He also indicated that a part of his motivation was to help bring Bitcoin into the mainstream.
“The idea is that we can start bringing crypto into the mainstream, whether it’s by taking a portion of our salary, or by allowing it organically [to spread.]”
BREAKING: @RepTomEmmer confirms he is interested in taking a portion of his salary in bitcoin.
He would be the first US Congressman to successfully do this. pic.twitter.com/HOei3Nw0WB
— Pomp (@APompliano) January 31, 2022
Moreover, Rep. Emmer also believes that crypto is the natural step in the evolution of the current financial system.
He added that “legacy financial institutions [can] evolve, if they chose, with the financial system, or not.”
In the same interview, Rep. Emmer called out the U.S. financial regulator SEC for rejecting a Bitcoin ETF. Earlier, he tweeted that the Securities and Exchange Commission’s decision was “baseless.”
Congressman Emmer is a longstanding supporter of crypto. For instance, back in his 2018 congressional campaign, he said he would introduce several crypto-related bills to the House. All of these would support crypto and blockchain tech in some form.
Rep. Emmer is not the only political figure that said he would take a part of his salary in Bitcoin. In fact, the mayors of New York City and Miami are already converting their salaries into crypto.
It’s not just the U.S., though. Last week, one Belgian Member of Parliament vowed to convert his entire salary in Bitcoin.
NBA stars also like to take a portion of their earnings in bitcoin. Recently, NBA stars Andre Iguodala and Klay Thompson of the Golden State Warriors hopped on the crypto bandwagon.
Featured Image Courtesy of National Journal
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