Senate Democrats Weigh 3 Divisive Bills With 5 Weeks Until Midterms
Updated
Updated · POLITICO · Sep 29
Senate Democrats Weigh 3 Divisive Bills With 5 Weeks Until Midterms
3 articles · Updated · POLITICO · Sep 29
Summary
Senate Democrats used Tuesday’s caucus lunch to map out votes on three politically tricky measures—data-center costs, a stock-trading ban and West Bank violence—with 35 days left before the midterms.
Party leaders expect broad unity against the data-center bill and the House-passed stock-trading measure, though some senators could defect if a break better fits their campaigns.
The West Bank proposal is less predictable: Sens. Chris Van Hollen, Tim Kaine and Bernie Sanders want a floor vote on a State Department report, and Van Hollen said roughly half the caucus already co-sponsors it.
Recent blowback is shaping the strategy. Democrats’ unified opposition to a cryptocurrency bill this month triggered industry talk of retaliation and was followed by a major spending push against a key candidate.
The vote calculations underscore how tightly Hill decisions and campaign politics are now linked, with members weighing whether each roll call will pass quietly, spark negative headlines or move donor money.