Senate Advances Bipartisan Affordability and Jobs Act

A cloture vote moves the bill forward, though Senate passage has not yet occurred.

Updated on Nov. 10, 2026 in Legislative Policy

Senate Advances Bipartisan Affordability and Jobs Act

Live Poll

Should the federal government have final say over electric transmission line permits?

The U.S. Senate advanced the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act through a cloture vote on November 10, 2026. Sen. John Thune voted yes, while Sen. Mike Rounds was the lone Republican to vote no; the vote does not mean the Senate has passed the bill.

Why it matters

The bill changes federal permitting requirements for fossil fuel and renewable energy projects, which would affect how such projects are approved across the country. Opposition from state regulators, tribal groups and advocacy organizations shows the measure remains contested.

The cloture vote advanced the bill to a floor vote, with Rounds the only Republican opposing the motion. Amendments are expected, and the bill's final text on permitting authority remains unsettled.

The players

Sen. John Thune

Thune is the Senate Majority Leader from South Dakota who voted yes on the cloture motion and has said Congress will need to work through several contested issues in the bill.

Sen. Mike Rounds

Rounds is a Republican senator from South Dakota who was the lone Republican to vote against the cloture motion, citing landowner and stakeholder concerns.

South Dakota Public Utilities Commission

The commission is the South Dakota state body that regulates utilities and opposes the bill's transfer of final transmission line permit authority to the federal government.

Gov. Larry Rhoden

Rhoden is the Republican governor of South Dakota who joined 21 other Republican governors in urging Congress to pass the bill.

The details

Rounds opposed the measure over concerns that South Dakota landowners should negotiate with state and local stakeholders before federal intervention is required, and he posted his concerns on Facebook. The South Dakota Public Utilities Commission objects that the bill gives the federal government final say on electric transmission line permits, while the Native American Rights Fund, NDN Collective and the chairman of the Crow Creek Sioux Tribe also oppose provisions of the bill.

October 2: Governors, including Gov. Larry Rhoden, urged Congress to pass the bill in a press release.
November 10, 2026: The Senate advanced the bill through a cloture vote.
Lame duck session ahead of January: Republicans aim to pass the bill as a priority before the new Congress.

Legislative Context

The bill continues the long-running congressional effort to streamline federal energy permitting, a debate that has repeatedly pitted state authority against federal consistency. Its move to give Washington final say on electric transmission permits marks a departure from the current state-led approach.

If enacted, the bill would change which level of government decides permits for fossil fuel and renewable energy projects, affecting how quickly such projects can be approved. Landowners and utilities in states like South Dakota would face a different process for transmission line permits than they do today.

The takeaway

The bill's fate now depends on the amendments and lame duck negotiations ahead, so readers should watch how permitting authority over transmission lines is ultimately divided between states and the federal government.

What happens next

Republicans aim to pass the bill as a priority during the lame duck session before the new Congress convenes in January, with amendments expected before any final vote.