Reporter’s Notebook: Senate sneaks in one last political play before voters have their say

Senate Republicans and Democrats used the last stretch of session before the midterms to stage votes aimed more at campaign messaging than at lawmaking, according to Fox News chief congressional correspondent Chad Pergram. Democrats blocked two Republican-backed measures: the Ratepayer Protection Act, meant to limit the electricity costs consumers face because of data centers, and curbs on stock trading by members of Congress that also carried a voter ID mandate, a priority for the GOP and its base. Pergram reports that Republicans expected the rejection, and that Democrats would likewise have turned down any proposal from the GOP.

The week, at the end of September, also brought a college sports bill, the confirmation of Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling, and testimony from former special counsel Jack Smith before the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Data centers are a sore spot with voters, and an internal Republican memo from August flagged particular worry about Sen. Jon Husted of Ohio. Gov. Mike DeWine appointed Husted last year to succeed Vice President JD Vance, and Husted had encouraged data center growth in his home state. Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., argued that no one's power bill should rise by even a cent because of such facilities.

Summarized by PolitiKool from Fox News’s reporting. Read the full story at Fox News →