The US Senate on Wednesday blocked the Ratepayer Protection Act, a Republican bill aimed at shielding Americans from spiking power costs driven by AI data centers.

The bill fell short of the 60 votes needed to advance, failing 57-43. It would have required state utility regulators to consider rules making data centers “recover the full, incremental cost” of the power they need.

Four Democrats broke with party leadership to back the bill: Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock of Georgia, and Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called the bill “shoddy” and “toothless,” arguing data centers must be legally required — not merely encouraged — to pay for their own grid upgrades.

Ossoff, in a competitive Georgia re-election race, said the bill was “worthy of debate,” blaming President Trump for record home power costs.

The split shows how the data center backlash is shaping the November midterms. The Senate has now left town without votes on other cost-of-living measures, including a federal gas tax holiday.