House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., said his party will address the cost of artificial intelligence data centers if they win back the majority in the 2026 midterm elections.
Jeffries said at a press conference he wants to ensure people can be shielded from rising energy costs caused by the boom in data centers proliferating across the country.
While Democrats will ensure "our homegrown companies can continue to lead the world in this transformative technology," he said, "we have to protect the American consumer.
"We have to protect the American homeowner," Jeffries said.
"We have to protect the American ratepayer from some of the downsides of the explosion of what has been taking place across the country, particularly in connection with data centers," Jeffries said.
Jeffries reiterated that his party wants to lead the way on technology while also keeping things affordable for constituents.
"We've maintained from the very beginning as House Democrats that we want to support innovation excellence, while at the same time making sure there are guardrails to protect the American people," Jeffries said.
Jeffries' comments come after Maine Democrat Gov. Janet Mills vetoed legislation that would have placed a temporary moratorium on large data center projects in her state, while backing a separate review of the industry's impact.
The bill, LD 307, would have paused permitting for data centers and created a council to study siting, energy use, and environmental effects.
Mills said she supported a temporary moratorium in principle but objected to the bill's failure to exempt a specific redevelopment project in the town of Jay.
"A moratorium is appropriate given the impacts of massive data centers in other states on the environment and on electricity rates," Mills said. "But the final version of this bill fails to allow for a specific project in the Town of Jay that enjoys strong local support from its host community and region."
Rep. Ted Lieu, D-Calif., proposed a new AI bill that would crack down on deepfake and non-consensual images and make it easier for whistleblowers to report AI-related concerns, CNBC said.
Lieu's bill includes provisions that protect whistleblowers who report AI safety risks or violations, require the U.S. to participate in international organizations that develop technical standards for AI, and would establish a prize competition for groundbreaking AI research and development, CNBC reported.
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