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Senate to Vote on Data Center Electricity Bill Before Midterms
Confirmed
In Short: In addition to the data center bill, the Senate is also considering a bill designed to prohibit congressional stock trading.
The Senate is set to vote on the Ratepayer Protection Act, which aims to address rising electricity prices by requiring state regulators to consider adopting standards for large data centers to pay for electric grid upgrades.
The bill passed the House last week with a vote of 417-3, but faced opposition from Senate Democrats who blocked an effort by Sen. Jon Husted, R-Ohio, to clear the measure for President Donald Trump’s signature.
Husted, who is facing a tough reelection challenge from Democratic former Sen. Sherrod Brown, is pushing for the bill to pass before the midterm elections.
The Senate voted 74-25 to limit debate on the bill Thursday and agreed to hold the passage vote at 5:30 p.m.
In addition to the data center bill, the Senate is also considering a bill designed to prohibit congressional stock trading.
Before these potential political posturing votes, the Senate is expected to pass a bipartisan bill setting rules for name, image, and likeness issues in college sports.
Meanwhile, the House is sending members home early for their seven-week campaigning recess ahead of the midterm elections, staving off a vote on impeaching Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
Rep. Thomas Massie announced he would force an unprecedented vote to impeach Hegseth over his handling of the US war with Iran, but Republicans have found a way to stall that vote by leaving early and postponing it until November.
House Republicans had planned to remain in session until Thursday but will now take their last votes Wednesday evening on a major White House priority, a Russia sanctions bill, and then leave town.
The next time House lawmakers are expected back in Washington will be after the November elections.
President Donald Trump’s announcement of a “dividend” to reward voters if Republicans win the midterm elections has drawn bemusement from economists and lawmakers.
In New Zealand, a record number of voters turned out to vote for their Bird of the Year, with the critically endangered black robin winning the title.
What this adds
The bill's passage could have implications for the regulation of data centers, which have been a focus of regulatory scrutiny due to their high electricity consumption.
The data center bill's passage could also influence future regulatory actions, such as California's recent tightening of regulations on AI data centers.
The Senate's decision to vote on these bills before the midterm elections may be seen as a strategic move to address key issues before the election.
Background
Google is sending its first AI data center satellite into space as part of Project Suncatcher, an ambitious initiative to harness solar power and expand computing capabilities beyond Earth.
Newsom highlighted the need for regulation in the face of increasing electricity demand, grid constraints, and water use, noting that communities are left to deal with the consequences of higher utility costs.
What's confirmed
- The Senate is set to vote on the Ratepayer Protection Act, which aims to address rising electricity prices by requiring state regulators to consider adopting standards for large data centers to pay for electric grid upgrades.
- The bill passed the House last week with a vote of 417-3, but faced opposition from Senate Democrats who blocked an effort by Sen. Jon Husted, R-Ohio, to clear the measure for President Donald Trump’s signature.
- Husted, who is facing a tough reelection challenge from Democratic former Sen. Sherrod Brown, is pushing for the bill to pass before the midterm elections.
- The Senate voted 74-25 to limit debate on the bill Thursday and agreed to hold the passage vote at 5:30 p.m.
- In addition to the data center bill, the Senate is also considering a bill designed to prohibit congressional stock trading.
- Before these potential political posturing votes, the Senate is expected to pass a bipartisan bill setting rules for name, image, and likeness issues in college sports.
- Meanwhile, the House is sending members home early for their seven-week campaigning recess ahead of the midterm elections, staving off a vote on impeaching Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
- Rep. Thomas Massie announced he would force an unprecedented vote to impeach Hegseth over his handling of the US war with Iran, but Republicans have found a way to stall that vote by leaving early and postponing it until November.
- House Republicans had planned to remain in session until Thursday but will now take their last votes Wednesday evening on a major White House priority, a Russia sanctions bill, and then leave town.
- The next time House lawmakers are expected back in Washington will be after the November elections.
- President Donald Trump’s announcement of a “dividend” to reward voters if Republicans win the midterm elections has drawn bemusement from economists and lawmakers.
- In New Zealand, a record number of voters turned out to vote for their Bird of the Year, with the critically endangered black robin winning the title.
What's still developing
- Asked if GOP leaders were canceling session to protect members from a politically difficult vote to impeach Hegseth, Johnson said the move had nothing to do with the defense secretary.
- “Congress would have to appropriate the money. It would then have to either borrow the money or raise taxes to cover the cost of the ‘dividends,’” Douglas Holtz-Eakin, president of the center-right American Action Forum think tank, told Newsweek.
- On Monday, Starmer announced his resignation, saying he would stay in post until his successor is chosen No 10 says there'll be "no new major policy or spending commitments" until a new PM is appointed However, ministers are planning to press ahead with publishing defence spending plans - our correspondent says this could draw criticism from Starmer's potential successors Edited by Craig Hoyle and Charlotte Hadfield, with Henry Zeffman reporting from Westminster It's been another busy day in Westminster as Andy Burnham remains the front-runner to become the next Labour leader.
- Forest and Bird deemed most of the votes were legitimate, and said it did not affect the victory of the hoiho, or yellow-eyed penguin.
- In 2023 the puteketeke won the title after receiving the celebrity backing of Last Week Tonight comedian John Oliver, who urged his viewers to vote for the lake dweller.
- "This year has seen record numbers of votes with 105,000 people choosing their favourite," Hatch said.
- In 2019 there were accusations of Russian interference after hundreds of votes were registered from IP addresses in the country.
- “Social democracy has won the elections in Sweden. After four years of a right-wing government with the far right, the Swedes are once again backing the welfare state, social justice and the green agenda,” Sanchez said in a post to X.
- 17, 2026) – Inside Elections Inside Elections Search Inside Elections About Ratings House Senate Governor Data Analysis House Senate Governor President Calendar Subscribe Login Search × Nonpartisan Analysis Since 1980 Search Senate Report Shorts (Sept.
Sources
- Roll Call link
- Abc7Ny link
- Newsweek link
- BBC link
- AFP link
- Al Jazeera link
- Insideelections link
- Washingtonexaminer link
- Egyptindependent link
- Euronews link
- Aleteia link
- Kwhn link
- Briefs link
- WarpBeat — background on Google Launches AI Data Center Satellite link
- WarpBeat — background on California Tightens AI Data Center Regulations link
- CNN — video link