Republican Rep. Tom Emmer calls government agency's investigation of Bitcoin miners 'an abuse of power'

Rep. Tom Emmer, R-Minnesota, expressed displeasure with the U.S. Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) recent move to authorize the collection of data from U.S. Bitcoin mining companies. Emmer said he wanted to hear from the OMB after the government agency last month allowed the Energy Information Administration (EIA) — a statistics and analysis agency within the U.S. Department of Energy — to begin investigating the power consumption of certain crypto mining companies. Answer. In a letter sent this week to OMB Director Shalanda Young, Emmer raised concerns about OMB's use of its emergency approval authority and said Bitcoin miners do not currently pose a threat to public safety. "Bitcoin mining is not a threat to public safety. Period," Emmer posted on X on Thursday. "OMB abused its emergency powers to attack Bitcoin miners and it needs an explanation." Emmer said the agency must prove to OMB that "a public hazard is likely to occur," among other criteria. (The Block)