The proposed text for the Digital Asset Market Clarity (CLARITY) Act, released by Senate Republicans on Wednesday, has sparked immediate pushback from Democrats concerning its ethics provisions.

Democratic Senator Ruben Gallego is signaling his intent to work with Republicans to develop a counterproposal to the ethics language in the bill. He dismissed the draft legislation that was released this week, calling it “not a serious effort.”

The controversy centers on ethics language that would prohibit all U.S. federal officials, including U.S. President Donald Trump, from issuing or sponsoring any form of digital asset. In the view of Democrats, these measures do not go far enough.

In a candid statement to Politico on Thursday, Senator Ruben Gallego expressed his stark disapproval. “Whatever piece of s--- they sent back to us, that was not a serious effort,” he said.

Gallego voiced his disbelief at the Republican proposal, suggesting it disregarded previous bipartisan collaboration.

“I can’t imagine that that’s a serious effort — after all the work that we’ve done with our Republican colleagues, that they would take the months and months of work and somehow interpret that and turn around and think what they offered was even remotely close,” he stated.

Conversely, Senate Republicans have refuted the notion that their ethics provisions are weak. Senator Bernie Moreno, for example, is on record describing the draft as containing “the most powerful ethics language in US history.”

Despite the friction, Gallego affirmed his commitment to finding a solution and said he would collaborate with Senator Thom Tillis and other Republicans on a forthcoming counterproposal.

“We are still in this fight,” Gallego told Politico, adding, “We are going to send back language.”