Story perspectives

Congress Tackles Ratepayer, AI Export, and NO FAKES Bills

6/26/2026

Summary

Story summary

The subpanel will vote on the Ratepayer Protection Act, prompted by SoftBank’s Ohio data-center plan and force utilities to adopt a standard.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) introduced the AI Moratorium Act, banning AI exports to nations lacking safety laws, with Bernie Sanders (I-VT) leading the version.
The NO FAKES Act, from Rep. Salazar with support from Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Chris Coons (D-DE), earned a unanimous Judiciary Committee vote.

History

Historical Context

In February 1996 President Bill Clinton signed the Telecommunications Act, overhauling the 1934 Communications Act and giving the FCC authority to open all communications markets to competition. The act cut media owners from about 50 in 1983 to ten by 1996, and Ohio’s data-center plan, Ratepayer Protection Act, Rep. Ocasio-Cortez’s AI Moratorium and Rep. Salazar’s NO FAKES bills revive the act’s tech push.

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Story summary

The subpanel will vote on the Ratepayer Protection Act, prompted by SoftBank’s Ohio data-center plan and force utilities to adopt a standard.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) introduced the AI Moratorium Act, banning AI exports to nations lacking safety laws, with Bernie Sanders (I-VT) leading the version.
The NO FAKES Act, from Rep. Salazar with support from Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Chris Coons (D-DE), earned a unanimous Judiciary Committee vote.

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