Hopes that Senate Majority Leader Thune will hold a cloture vote on the Clarity Act this week are fading. From a procedural standpoint, he would need to file cloture on the motion to proceed today to set up a Thursday vote under Senate rules, but those involved in the process expect the Russia/Iran sanctions bill to take precedence. Attention is instead shifting to next week, with industry stakeholders telling me it is “imperative” for leadership to at least begin the cloture process before the August recess.