Senate Democrats block data center and stock trading bills before recess

September 30, 2026 at 11:55 PM2 min

This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.

Senate Democrats on Wednesday defeated the Ratepayer Protection Act and the Stop Insider Trading Act, falling short of the 60 votes needed to overcome a filibuster. The votes came as the Senate prepared to recess for the 2026 midterm campaign, with Republicans accusing Democrats of obstruction and Democrats calling the bills toothless messaging measures.

Key Facts

The Ratepayer Protection Act failed 57-43, short of the 60 votes needed to overcome a filibuster.
The Stop Insider Trading Act failed 53-47 on a party-line vote.
The Ratepayer Protection Act passed the House 417-3 earlier in September.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called the data center bill "a fraud" and "toothless messaging bill."
The Senate is due to recess as soon as Wednesday for the 2026 midterm campaign.

The Failed Votes

The Ratepayer Protection Act failed on a vote of 57-43, short of the 60 votes required to overcome a Senate filibuster. The Stop Insider Trading Act, which includes a controversial voter-identification provision, was defeated on a party-line 53-47 vote. The data center bill attracted a handful of Democratic votes, while the stock trading bill received no Democratic support. Senate Majority Leader John Thune described both bills as "eminently commonsense pieces of legislation."

Democratic Objections

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called the Ratepayer Protection Act "a fraud" and a "toothless messaging bill." Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts dismissed the legislation as a "silly piece of nonsense" and demanded "something of substance." Senator Martin Heinrich of New Mexico, the top Democrat on the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, blocked the bill earlier in September when Senator Jon Husted requested unanimous consent. Husted, an Ohio Republican in a toss-up re-election race against former Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown, has been accused by Brown of helping bring data centers to Ohio as lieutenant governor.

Campaign Trail Fallout

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise posted on X that "EVERY Senate Democrat just joined 94% of House Democrats in voting AGAINST banning congressional stock trading." Republicans are expected to use the votes as campaign fodder as they seek to hold narrow majorities in both chambers despite President Donald Trump's falling approval ratings. With just over a month until the midterms, Democrats are bullish on their odds of winning majorities while Republicans search for ways to avoid a drubbing at the polls.