Thune tees data-center and stock-trading votes before midterm recess
Senate Majority Leader John Thune scheduled Wednesday procedural votes on House-passed bills addressing data-center-driven utility costs and restricting congressional stock trading (with a voter-ID rider), aiming to give vulnerable Republicans campaign talking points as Democrats signal they will block both measures.
AI-assisted · US Brief desk · Sources listed below
What happened
According to The Hill and Punchbowl News, the Senate is set for procedural votes Wednesday beginning around 11:30 a.m. Eastern on legislation addressing utility costs tied to AI-driven data centers and on the Stop Insider Trading Act sponsored by Sen. Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.). A Cabinet nomination vote is also on the slate. Thune told POLITICO the chamber could be on a “glide path” to wrap by Wednesday night, though Acting Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling’s confirmation could slip if Democrats refuse to truncate debate time.
Why it matters
Even failed cloture votes let Republicans claim they tried to act on cost-of-living and corruption concerns five weeks from Election Day — while Democrats argue the packages are diluted messaging bills. Data-center politics also collide with Trump’s AI agenda after Tuesday’s White House tech summit.
What’s next
Watch the cloture results, whether Sonderling is confirmed before recess, and how both parties spin the votes in Ohio, Nebraska, and Alaska ads.
More context
Senate Majority Leader John Thune is using the chamber’s last days before a midterm campaign recess to force votes on two politically popular House-passed bills — one aimed at data-center energy costs and another restricting stock trading by members of Congress.
What the bills do (as described by outlets): The stock-trading measure would generally bar members, spouses, and dependent children from buying new stocks and require public notice before sales, The Hill reported. Republicans attached a photo voter-identification requirement drawn from the SAVE America Act — a Trump priority — which Democrats call a poison pill. The data-center bill is framed as responding to voter anger over energy and water use; Trump on Tuesday defended data-center buildout alongside tech CEOs and said firms would make communities “happy,” Punchbowl noted.
Political math: The Hill says Thune timed the votes to help embattled GOP Sens. Jon Husted (Ohio), Pete Ricketts (Neb.), and Dan Sullivan (Alaska). Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer and others signaled they will largely vote as a bloc to deny Republicans legislative wins they could tout on the trail. Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) dismissed the trading bill as “weak sauce” and “milquetoast,” The Hill reported.
Uncertainty: This draft was prepared before the Wednesday floor votes concluded; final margins and any last-minute text changes should be checked against roll calls. Punchbowl and The Hill differ slightly on how long senators may stay for Sonderling.
3 listed sources
- The Hill, Sep 30, 2026: John Thune sets data center, stock trading votes to shore up incumbents
- Punchbowl News, Sep 30, 2026: The Senate’s last gasp before midterm elections
- POLITICO Inside Congress (Jordain Carney, Calen Razor), Sep 30, 2026: One day more?
References listed by US Brief; a source count is not a verification score.
Editorial sourcing notes
Primary sourcing: The Hill, Sep 30, 2026 (John Thune sets data center, stock trading votes…) — Husted/Ricketts/Sullivan framing, Stop Insider Trading Act details including SAVE America voter-ID attachment, Schumer intent to deprive messaging wins, Booker “weak sauce” quote. Punchbowl News, Sep 30, 2026 — three procedural votes from 11:30 a.m., possible early exit, Trump data-center defense at White House tech lunch, Sonderling Labor nomination timing. POLITICO Inside Congress, Sep 30, 2026 — Thune “glide path” comment, vote slate. Votes were scheduled for Wednesday; outcomes may still be pending when this draft staged ~5:35 a.m. PT.
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