Senate Democrats on Wednesday blocked a Republican-backed measure intended to address the soaring electricity costs associated with data centers, deriding the legislation as ineffective and "toothless." The procedural vote failed 57-43, falling short of the 60 votes needed to overcome a filibuster.
The bill, known as the Ratepayer Protection Act, would encourage states to consider standards requiring tech companies to pay for the additional electricity costs generated by data centers. However, it does not mandate that states adopt such standards, leaving the possibility that no action would be taken—a key reason Democrats labeled it ineffective.
Four Democrats broke ranks to support the measure: Sens. Jon Ossoff (Ga.), Raphael Warnock (Ga.), Maggie Hassan (N.H.), and Amy Klobuchar (Minn.). Ossoff is facing a tough reelection fight in November, while Klobuchar is running for governor of Minnesota. The bill has been championed in the Senate by vulnerable Republican Sen. Jon Husted (Ohio).
Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) blasted the legislation on the Senate floor Tuesday, saying, "Americans are demanding real guardrails on AI and data centers, but all the Republicans offer is a toothless messaging bill. The bill is a fraud. I can sum up the shortcomings of the Republican data center bill with one word: optional. The bill is optional."
Democrats argue the chamber should instead take up legislation that forces Big Tech to cover the costs. They point to bipartisan efforts like the recent Senate deal to fast-track energy projects and shift data center costs as a more meaningful approach.
Supporters of the bill counter that while it won't solve the entire problem, it could spur states that have not yet acted to consider adopting standards. They argue that even optional guidance can prompt action.
The vote comes amid growing scrutiny of data centers' energy consumption and their impact on ratepayers. Lawmakers from both parties have urged federal regulators to address the issue, as seen in the recent push to block a major utility sale over consumer costs.
Separately, Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) on Wednesday blocked a unanimous consent request to pass the Kids Online Safety Act, a bill aimed at protecting minors online. That effort, led by Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), has long sought to hold social media companies accountable. The blocked online safety bill remains stalled.
Meanwhile, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) criticized President Trump for opposing federal AI guardrails, calling Trump's preference for industry self-policing a dangerous case of letting the fox guard the henhouse.
