Dem
53
Ties
2
GOP
45
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) understands that the red team is in deep doodoo and is trying to rescue some of his endangered members. Yesterday, Thune forced a floor vote in the Senate on a bill concocted by Sen. Jon Husted (R-OH), who is trailing former senator Sherrod Brown in most recent polls. The bill would order state utility commissions to consider the effects of data centers on electricity rates. Democrats felt it was much too weak and just grandstanding, The bill failed 57-43, with four Democrats joining with all the Republicans. The bill previously passed the House but is now dead for this session of Congress. The net result is Husted cannot now crow about how he led the charge to lower electricity rates, which was the point of the whole exercise.
Republicans still want to do something to pretend they care about lowering prices, but they can't figure out what to do and the House has recessed until after the midterms. Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) wants to throw everything but the kitchen sink at the problem in the hope something works. He wants to cut the federal gas tax, ban diesel exports, cap the price of insulin, and more, but there is basically no time left and even the other Republicans don't agree on what to do. Thune was more realistic and said that nothing would help until the Strait of Hormuz was open again, but that is up to Iran, not the Senate, and Iran is not about to play ball. Time for supernegotiator Jared Kushner to find a phone booth, change uniforms, and get on it. What? there are no more phone booths? Oops. Very likely, Congress will do nothing between now and the midterms—and Republicans will suffer the consequences. (V)