Congress is out of session until Monday, November 9 for the midterm campaign. No new roll-call votes until then; the last were the House on Sep 16 and the Senate on Sep 30.

Issues / AI Infrastructure Impact / Event · Sep 10 – Oct 7, 2026

Data Center Transparency and Community Empowerment Acts

Six Democratic members of Congress are opposing an EPA proposal to eliminate the 30-day public notice period for data center air permits. Representatives Dingell and Blunt Rochester introduced legislation requiring federal data center environmental impact reporting and community involvement in development. Senators Markey, Whitehouse, Duckworth, and Gallego sent letters pressing the EPA and data center companies on permit transparency.

AI summary of the releases below · Oct 8, 2026

Also under Science, Technology, Communications, Environmental Protection, Public Lands and Natural Resources

7D30D90D Export CSV
13Members · 12 D · 1 R
13Actions · 12 D · 1 R
11States & territories · MA · AZ · MI · RI lead
8Bills named

How the conversation moved

Democrat Republican · one dot = one action
Action typeWk ofSep 81Wk ofSep 151Wk ofSep 223Wk ofSep 296Wk ofOct 62Total
Sent lettersTo agencies, companies, officials 6
CriticizedA policy, decision or person 2
Filed or pushed billsNew, reintroduced or passed 4
Other 1

Where they stand

Support · 4

  • DBlunt Rochester DEIntroduced bills to improve data center transparency and community involvement
  • RBarrett MICo-sponsored No Secrets for Data Centers Act to increase transparency
  • DLarsen WADemanded data centers include labor standards and community benefits agreements
  • DVasquez NMChampioned bills to stop data center developers from forcing communities to subsidize construction

Oppose · 7

  • DWhitehouse RIUrged EPA to withdraw rule eliminating public notice period for data center permits
  • DMarkey MAOpposed EPA rollback of public input rules for data center permits
  • DDuckworth ILOpposed EPA rule eliminating 30-day public notice period for data centers
  • DGallego AZOpposed EPA rule eliminating 30-day public notice period for data centers
  • DWyden ORAttempted fast-track passage of public lands data center ban
  • DWarner VAArgued Ratepayer Protection Act does not go far enough; urged mandatory transparency requirements
  • DCastor FLOpposed data centers without ratepayer protections

What each party did · Democrats 12 · Republicans 1

  • 6Sent letters0
  • 2Criticized0
  • 3Filed or pushed bills1
  • 1Other0

Most active

  1. DMarkey MA2
  2. DWhitehouse RI1
  3. DDuckworth IL1
  4. DGallego AZ1
  5. DDingell MI1
  6. DBlunt Rochester DE1
  7. DWyden OR1
  8. DWarner VA1

By state

  • MA2
  • AZ2
  • MI2
  • RI1
  • IL1
  • DE1
  • OR1
  • VA1

+3 more with fewer actions

Every action

13 actions · 15 releases
  1. Oct 7, 2026
  2. Oct 6, 2026
    • Letter

      DMarkey MA

      Opposed EPA proposal to eliminate 30-day public notice period for data center air permits.

      Release ↗

  3. Oct 5, 2026
  4. Oct 1, 2026
    • Statement

      DDingell MI

      Announced draft of federal data center Bill of Rights to ensure community input on large-scale projects.

      Release ↗

    • Bill

      DBlunt Rochester DE

      Introduced bills requiring federal data center environmental impact reporting and community involvement in development.

      Release ↗

  5. Sep 30, 2026
    • Bill

      DWyden OR

      Sought to pass bill banning data center development on public lands; blocked by Senate Republicans.

      Release (2 members) ↗

    • Criticism

      DMarkey MA

      Released report criticizing EPA deregulation of environmental protections for data center construction.

      Release ↗

  6. Sep 29, 2026
    • Criticism

      DWarner VA

      Called for stronger data center regulations on water, energy, and transparency requirements.

      Release ↗

  7. Sep 25, 2026
    • Letter

      DKelly AZ

      Pressed Interior Secretary for transparency on Trump administration's proposed data centers on federal public lands.

      Release ↗

  8. Sep 24, 2026
    • Bill

      RBarrett MI

      Introduced bipartisan bill to ban non-disclosure agreements on data center projects.

      Release ↗

  9. Sep 23, 2026
    • Letter

      DLarsen WA

      Joined letter demanding data centers follow strict guardrails on electricity and water impacts.

      Release ↗

  10. Sep 16, 2026
    • Bill

      DVasquez NM

      Backed data center moratorium and championed bills to protect communities from data center costs.

      Release ↗

  11. Sep 10, 2026
    • Letter

      DCastor FL

      Opposed data center development in Hillsborough County, citing utility cost increases.

      Release ↗

Summaries, action types, amounts and positions are read from each press release by AI and can be wrong. Joint releases (same day, same action, matching title or amount) count once. How it works