Commitment kind: outcome. Promised action: not established. Promised outcome: A federal moratorium on data centers is put in place if Congress does not adopt strong guardrails.. Deadline: unknown; not assumed expired. As Energy and Commerce Committee Ranking Member, Pallone reiterated his broader data center safeguards position while discussing FERC and PJM rules.
Occurrences
“This simply cannot continue. That is why I am in favor of a national AI data center moratorium until we can find a way to ensure they don’t harm our nation’s air, water, and power bills,” Pallone said.
Pallone said he favors a national AI data center moratorium until protections are found for air, water, and power bills.
Pallone has publicly and repeatedly called for substantial federal guardrails to protect communities against data centers’ impact on their air, water, power grid, and monthly utility bills. If Congress fails to adopt strong guardrails, he has said a federal moratorium on data centers should be put in place.
The press release repeats Pallone's position that Congress should adopt strong federal guardrails for data centers and that a federal moratorium should be imposed if it does not.
legacy_unverified · Source version not recorded · locator unknown
Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez announced legislation for an immediate federal moratorium on AI data centers until national safeguards address safety, workers, utility prices, communities, and the environment.
Unverified model/legacy excerpt; not proof. AI summary (separate from source): This is the closest federal proposal matching the claim, but the official announcement names Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez, not Pallone, and describes proposed legislation rather than an enacted moratorium.
legacy_unverified · Source version not recorded · locator unknown
The draft bill would bar construction or upgrades starting on the date of enactment until laws ensure AI data centers do not raise bills, harm the environment, and report water use and air monitoring.
Unverified model/legacy excerpt; not proof. AI summary (separate from source): The bill text matches the promised policy substance, including electricity bills, water reporting, and air-quality monitoring, but it is framed as a bill that would operate only after enactment; no enactment is shown here.
legacy_unverified · Source version not recorded · locator unknown
AP reported that Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez introduced a bill to pause new data centers until safeguards are in place, but that it was unlikely to advance and most lawmakers rejected a moratorium.
Unverified model/legacy excerpt; not proof. AI summary (separate from source): Reputable reporting confirms the federal moratorium effort had not become law and faced broad congressional resistance. It also does not identify Pallone as introducing or advancing the proposal.
legacy_unverified · Source version not recorded · locator unknown
The White House framework says ratepayers should not pay data-center costs and asks Congress to streamline permitting for on-site data-center power generation, while promoting AI innovation nationally.
Unverified model/legacy excerpt; not proof. AI summary (separate from source): The administration pursued a partial ratepayer safeguard, but not a national moratorium and not the broader air, water, and environmental pause described in the promise.
legacy_unverified · Source version not recorded · locator unknown
Executive Order 14179 set a federal policy to enhance U.S. AI dominance and directed review of prior AI policies viewed as obstacles to that goal.
Unverified model/legacy excerpt; not proof. AI summary (separate from source): This official federal action points away from a national pause on AI infrastructure and toward accelerating AI leadership; it does not fulfill a data-center moratorium promise.
legacy_unverified · Source version not recorded · locator unknown
Pallone said he was “in favor of a national AI data center moratorium” until safeguards prevent harm to air, water, and power bills.
Unverified model/legacy excerpt; not proof. AI summary (separate from source): Official House Energy and Commerce Democrats release directly confirms Pallone publicly supported the specific national AI data-center moratorium during the 119th Congress.
legacy_unverified · Source version not recorded · locator unknown
GovInfo lists H.R. 9442 as introduced and referred on June 24, 2026, with a moratorium contingent on enactment of safeguards.
Unverified model/legacy excerpt; not proof. AI summary (separate from source): The official bill record shows a substantively matching federal moratorium bill existed, but it remained introduced/referred rather than enacted; Pallone was not listed among sponsors or cosponsors.
Public state: unverifiedAs of unknown · legacy_unverified · . Original AI recommendation (not independently established): delivered.same_term
The promise is framed as supporting a national moratorium, not necessarily enacting one. Pallone publicly stated during the 119th Congress that he was in favor of a national AI data center moratorium until safeguards protect air, water, and electricity bills, which directly matches the promised position in his current federal office term. The related moratorium bill was not enacted and Pallone was not listed as a sponsor, but enactment is not required for a support-position claim.
provider codex_cli · model gpt-5.5 · confidence 93%