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Brown Targets Husted as Senate Votes Data Center Bill

By Drooid · Sep 25, 2026, 5:15 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Brown Opposes Data Centers

Senator Sherrod Brown is centering data-center opposition against Republican Senator Jon Husted in Ohio.
NBC poll shows voters trust Democrats 32% versus Republicans 20% on data-center policy.
Nationwide poll finds 64% would be less likely to support anyone favoring data centers.
Husted’s Ratepayer Protection Act forces data centers to fund power, on the Senate calendar.
Brown’s campaign aired eight data-center ads and spent about $200,000 on a new TV spot.

Summary

Senate Holds Ratepayer Vote

The Senate will hold an initial vote on the Ratepayer Protection Act Wednesday, requiring at least seven Democratic votes.
Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) will support the bill but says it is insufficient.
Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) rejected a voice vote, urging his stronger data-center legislation.
Rep. Suhas Subramanyam and Senator Mark Warner (D-Va.) introduced a bill taxing data centers and mandating state infrastructure contributions.

History

Historical Context

The 1934 Communications Act created the FCC to regulate telephone monopolies, but by the 1990s Congress passed the Cable Television Consumer Protection and Competition Act (October 5 1992) and the Telecommunications Act of 1996, the first major overhaul in over sixty years, to spur competition and private investment. Today Senators Sherrod Brown, Jon Husted and Mark Warner debate the Ratepayer Protection Act, echoing those deregulation efforts.

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Brown Opposes Data Centers

Senator Sherrod Brown is centering data-center opposition against Republican Senator Jon Husted in Ohio.
NBC poll shows voters trust Democrats 32% versus Republicans 20% on data-center policy.
Nationwide poll finds 64% would be less likely to support anyone favoring data centers.
Husted’s Ratepayer Protection Act forces data centers to fund power, on the Senate calendar.
Brown’s campaign aired eight data-center ads and spent about $200,000 on a new TV spot.

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