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Sep 17, 2026· Updated

On Its Last Day Before the Midterms, the House Votes 417-3 to Make AI Data Centers Pay for Their Own Power — Speaker Johnson Says Families "Won't Foot the Bill," Kathy Castor Says Big Tech "Should Pay for Their Power and Grid Upgrades," and Frank Pallone Warns Voters' Concerns Keep Getting "Ridiculed by President Trump and Republican Congressional Leaders"

On Sept. 16, 2026, the House passed the Ratepayer Protection Act 417-3 under suspension of the rules. It was expected to be the chamber's last day in Washington before the November midterms. The bipartisan bill, sponsored by Reps. Gabe Evans (R-Colo.) and Kathy Castor (D-Fla.), directs state utility regulators to consider, within two years, a standard requiring data centers and other "large-load" customers using more than 100 megawatts to pay the full cost of the new generation, transmission and grid upgrades built to serve them. It leaves the final decision to the states. The bill was the only AI-related measure on the House schedule that week. Polls show wide opposition to new AI data centers: NBC News found about 70% of adults oppose one in their neighborhood. Republican leaders said the bill protects ratepayers while keeping AI development in the United States. Many Democrats voted yes but called the bill a modest first step. Pallone blamed President Trump and GOP leaders for sidelining voters' concerns. Reps. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), Summer Lee (D-Pa.) and Delia Ramirez (D-Ill.) voted no. No Senate action is expected until after the election.

“[Objecting to Heinrich's GRID Savings Act after Heinrich blocked the Ratepayer Protection Act:] The term do-nothing Congress exists for a reason. We absolutely accomplished that right now.”
Bernie Moreno (R-OH) · Sep 17, 2026

Artificial Intelligence

Data Centers

Energy

13 statements

Sep 17, 2026· Updated

In Two Days the Government's Own Scorekeepers Put a Number on the Iran War — the Pentagon's Inspector General Says the Munitions Spent Have Caused "Strategic Inventory Shortfalls," and the CBO Says the War Has Cost $38 Billion and Will Add Half a Point to Inflation — While Trump Posts That America Is "Producing More Exquisite and Elite Weapons Than at Any Time in Our History"

On Sept. 14, 2026, the Defense Department's inspector general delivered its first congressionally mandated report on Operation Epic Fury, the war with Iran that began in late February. Covering Feb. 28 through June 30, the report put the cost to the Pentagon and State Department at $33.4 billion, $22.3 billion of it in expended munitions, and found that "the munitions expenditure on OEF has resulted in strategic inventory shortfalls and revealed industrial base bottlenecks for munitions resupply." It also documented that Iranian strikes damaged or destroyed hundreds of buildings and structures at US bases in Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Oman and Jordan — the first formal public accounting of American losses in the war. The next day, Sept. 15, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office released its own estimate: the war has directly cost the Pentagon more than $38 billion through the beginning of August and is on pace to consume $2 billion to $3 billion more every month. CBO also projected that the war will push inflation roughly 0.5 percentage points higher than previously forecast into the first quarter of 2027, driven largely by reduced oil and gas shipments through the Strait of Hormuz and disrupted Red Sea shipping. The CBO score was produced at the request of Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and other Senate Democrats, who had written that "the administration has not been fully truthful or transparent in its public accounting of the war's costs so far" — a concern they tied to an expected administration supplemental funding request of as much as $200 billion. Both reports landed against months of administration assurances to the contrary. Two weeks earlier Trump had said US ammunition stocks were "virtually unlimited"; on Sept. 14, the day the IG report dropped, he posted that the United States is "producing more Exquisite and Elite Weapons than at any time in our History," without addressing the findings. Senate Majority Leader John Thune said the supplemental would wait until after the November midterms.

“I've always been at odds with my fellow Democrats over how we hold Iran accountable. I'll continue to remain an unapologetic supporter of efforts to confront the Iranian regime and its proxies.”
John Fetterman (D-PA) · Sep 17, 2026

The House Votes a Third Time to End the Iran War, 220-204, as Three More Republicans Cross Over — and the Same Day Thomas Massie Files Eight Articles of Impeachment Against Pete Hegseth, Saying He "Is Breaking the Law and Must Be Held Accountable," Before GOP Leaders Cancel the Rest of the Week's Votes

On Sept. 15, 2026, the House passed a war powers resolution directing President Trump to remove U.S. forces from hostilities with Iran, 220-204 — its third such vote, after a failed attempt in March and passage in June and July. Seven Republicans voted yes, the largest GOP defection yet: Reps. Tom Barrett (Mich.), Brian Fitzpatrick (Pa.), Warren Davidson (Ohio) and Thomas Massie (Ky.), who had backed earlier resolutions, joined for the first time by Nancy Mace (S.C.) and Iowa's Mariannette Miller-Meeks and Zach Nunn. The concurrent resolution does not go to the president; the Senate is to take it up by Oct. 2. Hours earlier, Massie rose on the House floor to introduce eight articles of impeachment against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth without notifying party leaders. The 34-page resolution accuses Hegseth of waging the Iran war for more than 90 days without congressional authorization, defying Congress, causing needless civilian casualties, retaliating against Sen. Mark Kelly for protected speech, and — in its seventh article — the "kidnapping of a sovereign foreign leader" in the January operation that seized Nicolás Maduro. Because Massie offered it as a privileged resolution, leadership had to act on it within days; Majority Whip Tom Emmer then announced that the week's last votes would be Wednesday afternoon, and Massie accused leaders of "canceling Congress" to avoid the vote. The Pentagon called Hegseth "a transformative leader," and Attorney General Todd Blanche said he "follows the law." The votes came the same week the Congressional Budget Office put the war's cost through August at $38.1 billion.

“It's a publicity stunt by someone who wants attention. … Secretary Hegseth has done an extraordinary job. … It will immediately be tabled, of course. But we probably won't do that today. … It's time for our members to go home to their districts and make the case to the American people.”
Mike Johnson (R-LA) · Sep 16, 2026

The Administration Moves to Sell Israel 40,000 of the 2,000-Pound Bombs Biden Once Paused — the Top House Foreign Affairs Democrat Places a Hold, Saying "I Therefore Will Not Clear This Sale at This Time," and Chris Van Hollen Vows to Stop Bombs Sent "to a Govt Led by a Wanted War Criminal"

On Sept. 15, 2026, the Washington Post reported that the Trump administration had informally notified Congress of a roughly $2.8 billion munitions package for Israel — 40,000 2,000-pound bombs, including MK-84 general-purpose bombs, BLU-117s and I-2000 penetrator warheads, largely paid for with U.S. Foreign Military Financing. The Biden administration had paused deliveries of 2,000-pound bombs in 2024 over concern about their use in densely populated parts of Gaza. On Sept. 16, Rep. Gregory Meeks of New York, the ranking Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said he would not clear the sale during the informal review, citing "grave, unresolved concerns" about the bombs' use in Gaza and Lebanon, and Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) said he would work to block it. A hold is not binding: Secretary of State Marco Rubio can bypass congressional review with an emergency declaration, as the administration has done with earlier Israel sales. A senior White House official said only that "all foreign arms sales are moving through the appropriate process."

“Trump is sending $2.8 billion of bombs paid for by you, the American taxpayer, to a govt led by a wanted war criminal. … [We will work to stop it.]”
Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) · Sep 16, 2026

Bernie Sanders and Steve Bannon Share a Stage Blocks From the White House to Demand Limits on AI — Sanders Calls for "a Complete Ban on Artificial Superintelligence" and Asks Trump to Negotiate an AI Treaty With Xi, Greg Casar Says "No One Can Win the AI Arms Race," and Chip Roy Answers That "We're Not Supposed to Be Tools for Data Collection" — a Day After Trump Posted That the Danger Is "a HOAX"

On Sept. 15, 2026, the Future of Life Institute convened the Pro-Human Assembly in a Washington conference center blocks from the White House — a one-day gathering that put Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and former Trump chief strategist Steve Bannon on the same stage, alongside Rep. Greg Casar (D-Texas), Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas), Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Reps. Don Beyer (D-Va.) and Bill Foster (D-Ill.), AFL-CIO president Liz Shuler, AFT president Randi Weingarten, and actors Ashley Judd and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Sanders used his remarks to call for a pause on advanced AI development until a federal AI regulatory body is operating, and for "a complete ban on artificial superintelligence." He said he would introduce that legislation with Casar and pressed Trump to negotiate an AI treaty with Xi Jinping at their coming summit, invoking Reagan and Gorbachev's nuclear arms agreement as the precedent. Casar, chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, framed the moment as a "history-defining" one and argued for banning AI systems too powerful for humans to control. Chip Roy, the only Republican member quoted at length from the stage, grounded his objection in the dignity of work and in religious terms. The assembly met one day after President Trump posted on Truth Social that "AI taking over the World, destroying Humanity, and all other things bad, is a HOAX," alleged a "SICK conspiracy" against AI and data centers, and said a "STRONG AND SMART (High IQ!) PRESIDENT" is the only guardrail AI needs — remarks that reportedly worried some White House officials and that came as Anthropic's Dario Amodei, OpenAI's Sam Altman and Elon Musk were publicly asking government to slow the pace of frontier development.

“None of this can just happen in the United States alone. There must be international cooperation. … I am doing all that I can to see that President Trump and President Xi of China negotiate an AI treaty when they soon meet. … Back in the 1980s, Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev of the Soviet Union, two people with very different political and ideological positions, understood that a nuclear war would not be good for either country or the rest of the world—and they reached a nuclear arms agreement. Trump and Xi can do the same. … I know there are many who think that is impossible. It's not.”
Bernie Sanders (I-VT) · Sep 15, 2026

Artificial Intelligence

Hours Before the Crypto Bill's Make-or-Break Senate Vote, Trump Agrees to Ethics Rules on His Own Family — Lummis Says He "Voluntarily Agreed to Unprecedented Ethics Restrictions," and Elizabeth Warren Calls the Deal a "Weak Fig Leaf" That Will Not Stop "His Next $1.4 Billion in Crypto Profits"

Late on Sept. 13, 2026, Sens. Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), John Boozman (R-Ark.) and Tim Scott (R-S.C.) released what they called the final text of the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act — the CLARITY Act — ahead of a cloture vote Majority Leader John Thune had scheduled for 2:15 p.m. on Sept. 15. The sponsors said the draft contained 126 substantive changes requested by Democrats and adopted substantially all of the Tillis-Gallego ethics language, including a role for state attorneys general in enforcing conflict-of-interest rules against federal officials. President Trump, whose 2025 financial disclosure reported roughly $1.4 billion in crypto-related income, signed off on most of it. The concession did not move the Democrats whose votes the bill needs to reach 60. On the Senate floor the night of Sept. 14, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) called the ethics deal a "weak fig leaf" and argued the enforcement design means "the law could never be enforced against Donald Trump." Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) — co-author of the ethics framework Republicans said they had adopted — told reporters the same evening that the final language "leaves a lot to be desired." Seven Senate Democrats had already said in July that the Republican text "falls short," and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) has said she will not support market-structure legislation without an enforceable ban on officials profiting from crypto. Seventeen state attorneys general and the banking industry also came out against the final draft. A failed cloture vote would effectively end the bill for 2026, seven weeks before the midterms.

“The full cost of today's result may not be known for years to come, but this much is clear: it increases the risk that the standards that global financial markets adhere to in the future will be those of Brussels or Beijing, rather than Washington and New York.”
Patrick Witt (R) · Sep 15, 2026

House Passes Iran War Powers Resolution 215-208, First Successful Vote Since War Began

The House passed a war powers resolution on June 3, 2026, directing President Trump to end military hostilities with Iran — the first time such a measure has cleared either chamber since the conflict began more than three months earlier. The 215-208 vote saw four Republicans cross party lines: Reps. Thomas Massie (KY), Brian Fitzpatrick (PA), Tom Barrett (MI), and Warren Davidson (OH). Every Democrat voted in favor, including Rep. Jared Golden (ME) who had opposed three previous attempts. The resolution is largely symbolic — Senate passage is unlikely and Trump would almost certainly veto it — but it represents a significant bipartisan rebuke of the administration's handling of the war.

“The president is now in the process of concluding a peace agreement, and we have to allow him the latitude to do that.”
Mike Johnson (R-LA) · Jun 3, 2026

House Republicans Cancel Iran War Powers Vote, Shielding Trump from Rebuke

House Republican leaders abruptly canceled a scheduled May 22 vote on a war powers resolution that would have compelled President Trump to withdraw from the war with Iran, after it became clear they lacked the votes to defeat it. A previous House vote on a similar measure ended 212-212 with three Republicans crossing over in favor. Democrats erupted on the floor — Rep. Jim McGovern delivered a fiery speech calling Republicans cowardly — and the vote is now expected to be rescheduled for June after recess.

“House Republicans cowardly pulled a scheduled vote on a War Powers Resolution. House Republicans refuse to show up and be accountable to the brave service members that have been recklessly put in harm's way.”
Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) · May 22, 2026

Trump Defeats Rep. Thomas Massie in Kentucky GOP Primary

Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY), one of Trump's most vocal Republican critics, was defeated 55-45 by Trump-endorsed Navy SEAL veteran Ed Gallrein in Kentucky's 4th Congressional District primary on May 20, 2026. The race — the most expensive House primary in U.S. history at over $32 million spent — was widely seen as a referendum on Trump's hold over the Republican Party, coming after Massie broke with the president on Iran, the "One Big Beautiful Bill," and the Epstein files. The result continued Trump's successful primary purge campaign, following prior victories over Sen. Bill Cassidy and five Indiana state senators.

“He was a bad guy. He deserves to lose.”
Donald Trump (R-FL) · May 20, 2026