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The Leader Board • Remarks
September 30th, 2026

Democrats Keep Fighting for Higher Electricity Prices

Instead of Sending Legislation to the President’s Desk That Is Supported by Over 200 House Democrats to Address Electricity Prices, Senate Democrats Decided They’d Rather Do Nothing

EARLIER TODAY, SENATE DEMOCRATS ONCE AGAIN BLOCKED THE OVERWHELMINGLY BIPARTISAN RATEPAYER PROTECTION ACT, PREVENTING CONGRESS FROM ACTING ON ONE OF AMERICANS’ TOP AFFORDABILITY CONCERNS 

“Chuck Schumer and Senate Democrats want to stop us from lowering energy costs for working Americans. They aren’t serious about the issue of affordability.” – Sen. Jon Husted (R-Ohio)

  • On Wednesday, for the second time this month, Senate Democrats blocked Sen. Jon Husted’s (R-Ohio) Ratepayer Protection Act, legislation that “would ensure American families and small businesses aren’t left paying for the energy infrastructure needed to support new data centers.” (Senate Republican Cloakroom: post on X – 9/30/26; Sen. Husted: Husted bill to protect Americans from footing the bill for new data centers blocked from passage – 9/17/26)
  • “Sen. HUSTED says it’s a ‘Chuck Schumer play’ to not provide the votes for his Ratepayer Protection Act & argues it shows Dems blocking affordability efforts. ‘Now they own it. The Democrats are obstructionists on lowering electricity prices for American consumers.’” (Punchbowl News’ Laura Weiss: post on X – 9/30/26)
  • “[T]he bill does not seek to ban data centers, set limitations on their expansion or even set regulatory guidelines for them. Instead, it amends existing energy law, the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act (PURPA), so states must consider a federal standard. Large data centers that consume 100 megawatts or more would pay the full extra cost of the generation, transmission and distribution upgrades built to serve them.” (Fox News: First data center bill clears House as both parties scramble for answers on affordability – 9/17/26)
  • “Companies would also be required to make financial assurances in the event a project is canceled or moved to prevent communities from being left holding the bill.” (Fox News: First data center bill clears House as both parties scramble for answers on affordability – 9/17/26)
  • This is the second time Senate Democrats have blocked Republican efforts to address electricity prices. Two weeks ago, Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) objected to Sen. Husted’s unanimous consent request to pass the Ratepayer Protection Act. (Politico: Democrat blocks fast-track passage for data center ratepayer bill – 9/17/26)
  • Democrats’ blockage of Sen. Husted’s bill is preventing Congress from acting to rein in electricity prices, an issue which has plagued the country for years and one that Americans care deeply about:
    • During President Biden’s term, electricity prices rose by 28.55%. (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Consumer Price Index News Release – 2/10/21; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Consumer Price Index News Release – 1/15/25)
    • 75% of adults “say their home energy costs have gone up in recent years, according to a recent Pew Research Center survey. This includes 42% who say these costs have gone up a lot.” (Pew Research: Many Americans hold utility companies responsible for their rising home energy bills – 5/6/26)
    • 84% of U.S. adults are either “somewhat” or “extremely or very” concerned about data centers affecting electricity prices. (Associated Press Poll – 9/16/26)

(Associated Press Poll – 9/16/26)

DESPITE THE LEGISLATION ADDRESSING A KEY CONCERN OF AMERICANS, LEADER SCHUMER AND HIS SENATE DEMOCRAT COLLEAGUES BLOCKED THE BILL, WHICH RECEIVED OVER 400 VOTES IN THE HOUSE, INCLUDING THE ENTIRE NEW YORK HOUSE DELEGATION

  • Earlier this month, the House passed the Ratepayer Protection Act in an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote of 417-3, including 206 Democrats. (Politico: House overwhelmingly passes bill to shield ratepayers from data centers – 9/16/26; H.R. 9340: Roll Call Vote #312 – 9/16/26)
  • “The House version of the bill, led by Reps. Gabe Evans (R-Colo.) and Kathy Castor (D-Fla.), was bipartisan from the start.” (Politico: Democrat blocks fast-track passage for data center ratepayer bill – 9/17/26)
  • Every single New York House Democrat voted to pass the legislation. (H.R. 9340: Roll Call Vote #312 – 9/16/26)
  • House Democrat Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) called the bill “a step forward.” (Politico: Hakeem Jeffries: Congress must act ‘immediately’ to rein in AI – 9/14/26)
  • Despite this near-universal support, Senate Democrat Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) has called the bill a “fraud” multiple times:

DEMOCRATS’ BLOCKADE AGAINST LOWER ELECTRICITY COSTS IS A CONTINUATION OF THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION’S ANTI-ENERGY AGENDA THAT LED TO SKYROCKETING PRICES

  • During President Biden’s time in office, energy and natural gas prices all skyrocketed:
  • As a 2020 presidential candidate, Biden pledged, “I want you to look at my eyes. I guarantee you. I guarantee you. We’re going to end fossil fuel.” (The Associated Press: In intimate moment, Biden vows to ‘end fossil fuel’ – 9/6/19)
  • In his first week on the job, President Biden “signed a series of executive orders that prioritize climate change across all levels of government,” including a directive “to halt new oil and natural gas leases on public lands and waters.” (CNBC: Biden suspends oil and gas leasing in slew of executive actions on climate change – 1/27/21)
  • President Biden banned offshore drilling across more than 625 million acres of ocean, a move seen as a “last-minute effort to block possible action by the incoming Trump administration to expand offshore drilling.” (CBS News: Biden bans new offshore oil and gas drilling in most U.S. coastal waters – 1/6/25)
  • Democrats’ so-called Inflation Reduction Act mandated a methane tax – to the tune of $6.35 billion – be levied on American energy companies. President Biden announced the final methane tax during a United Nations climate change conference, suggesting his priority was impressing the international community, not bolstering American prosperity. (Congressional Budget Office: Estimated Budgetary Effects of Public Law 117-169. To Provide for Reconciliation Pursuant to Title II of S. Con. Res. 14 – 9/7/22; Reuters: US sets methane fee on oil, gas emitters as Biden term winds down – 11/12/24)
  • The Inflation Reduction Act also included, in President Biden’s own words, “$369 billion to take the most aggressive action ever in confronting the climate crisis” and “to fight environmental injustice.” (President Biden Archived: post on X – 7/29/23)
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