Innovation Council Action Director of Government Affairs Nicholas Elliot said Wednesday that Senate Democrats voted to push rising electricity costs onto American families after the chamber blocked the bipartisan Ratepayer Protection Act.
The advocacy group issued the statement after the measure fell on a 57-43 procedural vote, short of the 60 needed to break a filibuster and open debate, according to a report published Wednesday.
Elliot said the bill rested on a principle President Donald Trump has pushed and the House had already endorsed.
“President Trump championed a simple principle: Data centers should pay their own way,” Elliot said. “The House of Representatives overwhelmingly agreed. Senate Democrats had the opportunity to reach across the aisle and make life more affordable for Americans, but they failed to do what’s right.”
The House passed the measure, sponsored by Rep. Gabe Evans (R-CO), by a 417-3 vote on Sept. 16. The only three no votes came from progressive Democrats Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), Summer Lee (D-PA), and Delia Ramirez (D-IL).
Elliot noted that 206 House Democrats backed the bill their Senate colleagues rejected. He said the Senate caucus turned it down twice before leaving Washington to campaign.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) tied the opposition to the calendar.
“Given the overwhelming support for this measure in the House, it’s difficult to conclude that Senate Democrats blocked this bill for any reason other than the desire to deny Republicans another win in an election year,” Thune said.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) argued the bill did too little, describing it as a “toothless messaging bill” in a floor speech Tuesday. The New York Democrat said his caucus wants a mandate written into law rather than a voluntary framework states may ignore.
Four Democrats broke ranks and voted with Republicans: Jon Ossoff (D-GA), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN).
Wednesday marked the second block. Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-NM) objected to an earlier unanimous-consent request from bill sponsor Sen. Jon Husted (R-OH), saying it did not go far enough.
Husted wrote on X Thursday that lawmakers across the spectrum had backed the bill.
The vote came in the Senate’s final days before the November midterms, with both parties fighting to claim the cost-of-living issue. The chamber the same day defeated a separate stock-trading ban on a 53-47 vote.