Senate Democrats Block Congressman Gabe Evans’ Bipartisan Ratepayer Protection Act

September 30, 2026 Press Release WASHINGTON — Today, Senate Democrats blocked Congressman Gabe Evans’ bipartisan Ratepayer Protection Act from advancing —for the second time in two weeks—despite the legislation previously passing the U.S. House of Representatives nearly unanimously with an overwhelming 417–3 vote. The legislation received 57 votes in the Senate (53 Republicans and 4 Democrats) but failed to reach the 60 votes necessary to advance. Colorado Senators Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper both voted against advancing the legislation—despite every Republican and Democrat member of Colorado's House delegation supporting it—once again proving their prioritization of politics over protecting Colorado families. Coloradans have spoken and their Senators have ignored them. “Rather than joining the House in putting Americans first, Senate Democrats choose to prioritize political games over a commonsense solution that protects ratepayers across the country. My legislation earned 417 votes in the House, because we understand protecting hardworking families from costs they didn’t create shouldn't be controversial. The House proved that this wasn’t a partisan issue. Senate Democrats decided to make it one.” — Congressman Gabe Evans Evans’ Ratepayer Protection Act is designed to protect American families, farmers, seniors, and small businesses from being stuck with the costs of new energy infrastructure needed to serve large-load data centers. Under the legislation, regulators in states without comparable protections, including Colorado, would be required to hold a public hearing on a strong federal standard which requires large-load data centers pay the full incremental costs of the new power generation, transmission, distribution, and other electric infrastructure necessary to serve them. The legislation also preserves states’ authority to determine how to best implement such a standard for their electric grids and communities. The Senate vote follows an earlier attempt to advance the legislation after its House passage. Sen. Jon Husted (R-OH), who is leading the legislation in the Senate, previously sought unanimous consent to move the Ratepayer Protection Act forward, but Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-NM) objected. The legislation previously passed the House Energy and Commerce Committee unanimously, 52–0, before passing the full House 417–3. The Ratepayer Protection Act would require regulators to consider policies alongside community members that: Ensure qualifying large-load customers are responsible for the full incremental costs of generation, transmission, and distribution upgrades necessary to serve their electricity demand. Require financial assurances so families and businesses are not left paying for infrastructure built for a large-load data centers that later scales back operations or leaves. Give states flexibility to determine how those protections should be implemented based on their individual grids, industries, and energy needs. The legislation applies to non-residential customers with an aggregate peak electric demand of 100 megawatts or more at a single site or campus. Background Congressman Evans introduced the bipartisan Ratepayer Protection Act alongside Congresswoman Kathy Castor (D-FL) in June. The legislation builds on the principle that America can continue developing the infrastructure necessary to lead the world in artificial intelligence without forcing families and small businesses to pay costs created by large-load customers. The bill would establish a federal standard for states to consider while preserving state authority over retail electricity rates. States that have already implemented a comparable standard, considered one through a regulatory proceeding, or voted on one through their legislature would not be required to repeat that process. The Ratepayer Protection Act builds on the principles of President Trump’s Ratepayer Protection Pledge, which calls for protecting American consumers from increased costs associated with data center development. Congressman Evans will continue working with Senator Husted and colleagues in both chambers to advance protections for American ratepayers. Issues : Congress Economy Energy