What happened
A bipartisan bill, the Ratepayer Protection Act, was blocked by Senate Democrats in a 57-43 vote, falling short of the 60 votes needed to break a filibuster and open debate.
The bill, which aimed to shift data center costs away from families, was previously endorsed by the House of Representatives with a 417-3 vote.
According to Nicholas Elliot, Director of Government Affairs at the Innovation Council Action, Senate Democrats voted to push rising electricity costs onto American families by blocking the bill.
Four Democrats broke ranks and voted with Republicans, while Senate Majority Leader John Thune tied the opposition to the calendar, suggesting that Senate Democrats blocked the bill to deny Republicans a win in an election year.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer argued that the bill did too little and wanted a mandate written into law rather than a voluntary framework.
