Affordability pressure reshapes GOP playbook as Congress winds down

With midterms approaching, Capitol Hill grapples with affordability pressures: a GOP bid to curb data-center energy costs stalled in the Senate, gas prices hover near record highs, and defections over Iran policy add to nerves. Democrats blame inflation while the Fed signals more rate hikes, and negotiators push toward energy permitting reform and a college-sports bill to keep Congress productive. Separately, Sen. Hawley invited Flock's CEO and other executives to testify on AI-surveillance data, highlighting growing privacy concerns.