What happened
The U.S. Senate advanced the American Affordability and Jobs Act of 2026 by a 73-25 vote, invoking cloture on the motion to proceed and clearing a major hurdle toward final passage. President Trump publicly urged senators to support the measure, describing it as a win for U.S. energy independence and dominance.
The bill was negotiated by Senate Energy and Natural Resources Chairman Mike Lee of Utah, Environment and Public Works Chair Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia, and Democratic Senators Martin Heinrich and Sheldon Whitehouse. It overhauls several federal statutes, including the National Environmental Policy Act, Clean Water Act, Endangered Species Act, and National Historic Preservation Act.
Key provisions include two-year deadlines for full environmental impact statements, one-year deadlines for assessments, and a 150-day window for many judicial challenges. The legislation also seeks to provide greater certainty once permits are issued so future administrations cannot arbitrarily revoke them for entire classes of projects.
Data centers would be required to pay the full cost of new grid infrastructure they require, under what supporters call the Ratepayer Protection Pledge. The bill would also speed deployment of at least $10 billion annually in HUD housing funds by streamlining reviews and ending automatic historic preservation reviews for many federally backed housing projects not primarily focused on preservation.
Additionally, the measure requires coordinated regional planning for power lines, strengthens the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s backstop siting authority, and allows a federal override when states or localities block needed interstate transmission.
Lee said the permitting system often takes too long and costs too much, while Capito said the reforms will transform the nation’s ability to power the economy while protecting land, water, and wildlife.
