The Senate blocked a Republican-backed congressional stock-trading measure Wednesday after Democrats objected to its limited restrictions and an election-related provision they called a "poison pill," before rejecting a separate data-center electricity-cost bill hours later.

Democrats Reject Limited Stock Trading Curbs

The Stop Insider Trading Act failed 53-47, seven votes short of the 60 needed to advance. It would bar lawmakers, spouses and dependent children from buying individual public-company stocks but allow them to keep existing holdings, reinvest dividends and sell shares after providing advance notice.

The House had passed the measure in July, but the Senate version retained voter-identification provisions similar to Republican-backed election legislation. Democrats argued those requirements would make it harder for eligible citizens to vote.

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) called the proposal a "permission slip for corruption – not a stock trading ban," arguing that lawmakers could still own and sell individual securities. He described the voting language as a "poison pill."

Debate over congressional trading has intensified this year, with lawmakers including Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) calling for a broader prohibition. A Common Cause study recently cited by Reuters shows members of Congress executed 13,324 trades worth $635.6 million in 2025.

Data Center Bill Also Falls Short

The Senate then blocked the Ratepayer Protection Act 57-43. Four Democrats, including Jon Ossoff (Ga.), Raphael Warnock (Ga.), Amy Klobuchar (Minn.) and Maggie Hassan (N.H.), joined Republicans, but the measure still fell short of the 60-vote threshold.

The bill would require states to consider standards requiring large electricity users such as AI data centers to cover incremental generation, transmission and distribution costs. Schumer had previously called the proposal "optional", saying Republicans were offering "a toothless messaging bill." Reuters notes that Democrats instead favor the GRID Savings Act, which would require large data centers to pay grid-upgrade costs.

Sen. Jon Husted (R-Ohio), who sponsored the ratepayer measure, according to a CNN report on Wednesday, said it would demonstrate that lawmakers support "lower electricity prices and holding data centers accountable."

Twin Defeats Land Before Midterm Recess

Both defeats came in the final campaign stretch before the Nov. 3 midterms, leaving neither proposal enacted as senators turn increasingly toward election-season politics.