Senate weighs sweeping energy legislation in first major action since midterm elections
The 73-25 vote clears a major hurdle for a bill that would shorten federal reviews and shift more grid costs to large data centers.
- On Monday, November 9, the Senate is scheduled to hold a procedural vote on the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act of 2026, marking the first major legislative test for energy policy during the lame-duck session.
- Sens. Shelley Moore Capito, Sheldon Whitehouse, Mike Lee, and Martin Heinrich introduced this bipartisan compromise to accelerate infrastructure development by shortening National Environmental Policy Act timelines and limiting legal challenges.
- Advancing the legislation requires at least 60 votes, a significant hurdle as tribal groups and environmental advocates warn the bill weakens protections, despite recent amendments aimed at addressing concerns.
- House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries opposes the bill, stating it "falls short in several areas," while other Democrats seek to build opposition in the House if the measure clears the Senate.
- Today's vote serves as a bellwether for the relationship between the White House and Congress as lawmakers navigate rising electricity demand and impending shifts in energy policy ahead of the new Congress convening in January.
118 Articles
118 Articles
Senate Permitting Deal Wins First Vote
The Senate on Monday night moved to open debate on the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act — just after the president bizarrely threw cold water on the deal he struck for the bill. Senators agreed to invoke cloture on a motion to proceed to the bill by a vote of 73–25, a forceful bipartisan tally that could bolster momentum behind the bill. Up next comes what Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, the Democrat from Rhode Island and one of the ke…
US: Senate advances sweeping energy legislation in first major action since midterm elections
The Senate voted 73-25 to formally take up the bill, which senators and the president have pushed as a way to meet growing demand for electricity and other forms of energy that now face yearslong delays in getting to the grid.
Cortez Masto, Rosen among Democrats voting to advance overhaul of energy project permitting
The U.S. Capitol building in Washington, D.C., on Monday, Nov. 9, 2026. (Photo by Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom)A proposal to overhaul the federal process for permits to construct energy projects passed a procedural hurdle in the U.S. Senate on Monday, though several Democratic supporters said the legislation needed more work. The Senate voted, 73-25, to advance what’s known as the permitting reform bill, despite opposition from some corners of…
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