Wittman says the bill will keep constituents from picking up the tab for data centers
Rob WittmanU.S. representative from Virginia
Rob Wittman supports the Ratepayer Protection Act and says it will keep constituents from paying data centers' costs.
“WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO ENSURE THAT OUR CONSTITUENTS ARE NOT PICKING UP THE TAB FOR DATA CENTERS, AND THIS LEGISLATION WILL DO EXACTLY THAT.”
Original video
Where this statement fits
Would Jon Husted's Ratepayer Protection Act protect households from data-center costs?
Jon Husted and the bill's House sponsors say the Ratepayer Protection Act would stop households from paying for infrastructure needed by large data centers. Critics question whether requiring regulators to consider protective standards would deliver that result.
Source and context
Original video
About this source
Wittman urges passage of H.R. 9340 during House floor remarks.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Rep. Rob Wittman speaks on the House floor in support of the Ratepayer Protection Act, in video published Sept. 16, 2026.
DI added its logo in the corner.
Video: Rep. Rob Wittman (House floor video). Public domain (U.S. government work) (opens in a new tab)
Watch the full original video (opens in a new tab) (relevant passage: 01:15)
Before the quotation
Speaking in support of the bill on the House floor, Wittman says Virginia has about 13% of the world's data centers and that the costs they create should be borne by data center developers.
After the quotation
He says he is proud to be a cosponsor of the bill.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
Wittman endorses the bill and argues it will make developers pay costs they create.
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More from this case
Read the full caseBaratta says the bill mandates consideration without actual safeguards
“it only requires states to consider ratepayer protection, without mandating any actual safeguards around paying for data center energy use.”Read statement
Thune defends the ratepayer bill as consequential
“I don’t know how you can say something that passed the House of Representatives 417-3 isn’t consequential,”Read statement
Husted says his bill makes data centers pay their fair share
“My bill ensures that large data centers pay their fair share of electricity costs, infrastructure costs that they require, requiring them to own the responsibility for those costs rather than shifting them to other ratepayers.”Read statement
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The Dispute Index. "Wittman says the bill will keep constituents from picking up the tab for data centers". First published: 2026-10-20. Last updated: 2026-10-20. https://disputeindex.com/events/6167-rob-wittman-supports-the-ratepayer-protection-act-and