Democrats block ban on congressional stock trading — bill goes down 53 to 47. Democrats block data center bill 57-43.

Senate Democrats block House-passed bill restricting member stock trading

A House-passed bill to restrict members of Congress from buying and selling stocks failed on the Senate floor Wednesday in a party-line vote, with Democrats insisting it would not do enough to curb lawmakers’ trading.

Senators voted 53-47 on advancing the Stop Insider Trading Act, short of the 60 votes needed. Every Democratic and independent senator voted to reject the measure, which would prohibit members and their spouses from purchasing individual stocks and institute new reporting requirements.

Among other criticisms, Democrats argued the bill would not require lawmakers to sell stocks they already own.

“The Republican toothless stock trading bill is as ineffective as a screen door on a submarine,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said on the floor Wednesday. “This bill has no reform, no accountability, no substance.”

Senate Democrats block Sen. Husted-led bill on data centers, calling it ‘toothless’

The bill aims to prevent data centers from spiking local utility costs. Republicans accused Democrats of playing political games, noting the bill passed the House 417-3.

Senate Democrats blocked legislation Wednesday aimed at protecting consumers from paying higher prices when new data centers are built in their communities.

The vote was 57-43, short of the 60 needed to break a filibuster.

The Ratepayer Protection Act, which passed the House by a vote of 417-3 two weeks ago, sets a federal standard on the issue. It also instructs state public utility commissions to find ways to make developers of data centers that use huge amounts of energy cover their own costs of water and electricity to consumers.

The Senate version is led by appointed Sen. Jon Husted, R-Ohio, who’s locked in a competitive battle as he seeks his first full Senate term. He’s facing heat at home from Democratic rival and former senator Sherrod Brown, who has branded him “the face of data centers” for promoting developments when he was lieutenant governor.