Hawley Calls for Nationwide Pause on Data Center Construction

Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) is calling for a nationwide moratorium on data center construction, according to The Hill, which reported that he wants the Senate to pass such a pause in the period before Republicans lose the majority. In a separate report, Politico's report said the Missouri Republican is joining progressive Democrats in calling for a pause on construction until Congress guarantees taxpayers won't face "higher utility bills."

According to The Hill's report, Hawley is the first Republican senator to call for the move nationwide. The outlet reported that he listed his five priorities for his party in a post to the social platform X. The summary of that report is cut off before the list is complete, so the remaining priorities cannot be reported from that account.

The two reports describe the position from different angles. Politico framed the call as one shared with progressive Democrats, while The Hill described Hawley as the first Republican senator to make it nationwide. Politico's summary describes a pause on construction tied to utility costs, while The Hill's describes a moratorium on data center construction tied to the period before Republicans lose the majority. Neither summary indicates how other senators have responded to the proposal.

Politico's report was written by Nico Portuondo and Amelia Davidson. The Hill's report was written by Ford McCracken.

Neither Politico nor The Hill reports the text of the proposed moratorium, including its duration or the kinds of projects it would cover.

Sources: Politico: Hawley backs nationwide data center moratorium; The Hill: Hawley calls for Senate to pass data center moratorium.