Schumer slams data center bill as ‘ineffectual participation trophy’

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) on Tuesday slammed a bill that would force states to consider standards to mitigate data centers’ power price impacts as an “ineffectual participation trophy.”

His comments signal that Democrats could try to block the bill, which the Senate is expected to take up this week.

“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,” Schumer said in a speech on the Senate floor.

“At a time when Americans are calling out for real guardrails on AI, Senate Republicans are trying to secure an ineffectual participation trophy before they skip town. Instead of trying to score cheap political points with hollow proposals, Senate Republicans need to work with us to take meaningful action that will actually contain these existential risks.”

The legislation in question, known as the Ratepayer Protection Act, overwhelmingly passed the House in a bipartisan vote.

However, it has met some criticism, including from lawmakers who supported it, for not doing enough.

It would require states to hold hearings on standards to force data centers to pay for extra electric infrastructure needed to power their facilities. But it wouldn’t make the states adopt any standards — so states that don’t want to act ultimately would not have to.

Sen. Jon Husted (R-Ohio), who faces a tough reelection battle in November, recently attempted to pass the bill unanimously through the Senate but was blocked by Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.).

The bill’s ultimate fate is not clear, as seven Democrats would need to join Republicans in voting for it to cross the Senate’s 60-vote threshold.