WATCH LIVE: House considers bills on Russia sanctions, AI data center costs

# Why This Matters The House's consideration of expanded Russia sanctions represents a critical test of whether Western economic pressure can meaningfully constrain Moscow's ability to fund its war in Ukraine and military modernization. By targeting both Russian officials and economic sectors, lawmakers are attempting to close loopholes in existing sanctions regimes that have allowed Putin's government to maintain access to critical resources and circumvent previous restrictions—a direct response to intelligence showing that initial sanctions packages failed to significantly degrade Russia's war-fighting capacity. The vote also signals sustained congressional commitment to Ukraine support amid broader debate over defense spending priorities, which carries weight in NATO capitals assessing whether American backing will remain consistent through a potential change in administrations. Simultaneously, the inclusion of AI data center provisions in the legislative package reflects growing concern that rapid infrastructure expansion could create new vulnerabilities in critical computing power and energy infrastructure that adversaries might exploit or weaponize.