New Yorkers Tell Schumer: ‘Say No to Dirty Deal’ to Aid Data Center Expansion

A crowd of about 30 environmentalists rallied in the rain this morning outside the Park Slope apartment of Senator Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. They demanded that he stop a disputed federal permitting bill in the Senate that would help further the expansion of data centers. “When we have fascists aligning with tech billionaires and trillionaires, it makes absolutely no sense that Schumer would work with them to move their agenda ahead of working people’s agenda,” said Jonathan Westin of Climate Defenders. The Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act of 2026 (BAAJA) would implement transmission and grid reforms by accelerating the federal permitting process. Critics of BAAJA warn, however, by expediting this process, the bill would allow the Trump administration to fast track natural gas pipelines that power data centers and would make it more difficult for subsequent presidents to reverse course. A key procedural vote is slated to be held on Monday in the Senate.

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