Hello there.

Happy Monday! Congress wants to hit pause on AI, and $750 billion in Big Tech spending just raised an eyebrow.

The bill won't pass. But it's not the bill you should be worried about, it's the 12 states with their own versions. Anyway, back to gas price panic.

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Bernie Sanders and AOC just dropped a bill that would freeze all new data center construction in the United States. Like, all of it. Until Congress figures out how to regulate AI. So basically, forever.

The Artificial Intelligence Data Center Moratorium Act would ban any new data center from breaking ground until federal legislation is passed that protects workers, consumers, and the environment. It would also ban exporting advanced AI chips to countries without their own AI regulations. Given that Congress can barely agree on what day it is, this could theoretically put the entire AI buildout on ice indefinitely.

It won't pass, because Republicans control both chambers and historically love AI spending. But here's the thing: at least 12 states have filed their own moratorium bills in 2026, and some Mountain West counties are already passing them. Local governments are tired of data centers sucking up electricity, draining water, and jacking up utility rates. It’s growing from a small movement to an entire trend.

The reaction was spicy. Sen. Fetterman (a democrat himself) blasted the bill as "China First," saying a moratorium is waving a surrender flag in the AI race. Meanwhile, Big Tech is pouring $750 billion into data centers this year alone.

If you're holding data center plays like Equinix (EQIX), Digital Realty (DLR), or Vertiv (VRT), or chip names like NVIDIA (NVDA) and AMD (AMD), political risk is a new portfolio concern. The biggest threat to your AI positions might not be a bad earnings call. It might be a county commissioner in Virginia who's sick of her constituents' power bills doubling 😅

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So, there was a lot of progress in Iran-US relations over the weekend, and apparently, the Strait of Hormuz situation is getting better. Or really, Trump posted that things are going well, but if peace isn’t reached, we’ll blow up Iran’s power plants.

But even if oil prices end up coming down, gas prices aren't following suit anytime soon.

The average price at the pump is creeping toward $4 a gallon, and diesel already blew past $5. Even if Iran and the US somehow work out a deal tomorrow, experts say it could take three to four months before things actually get better at the gas station.

There are a bunch of reasons for that. First, Iran still controls the Strait of Hormuz. Traffic there has dropped by something like 90-95% since the conflict started. Ships from countries that aren’t allied with Iran are just avoiding it entirely.

Second, even if the strait reopens, a lot of the infrastructure has been damaged. Qatar said its massive liquefied natural gas port got hit so hard it could take years to fully recover. And production facilities that were shut off take weeks to turn back on. You can't just flip a switch and get everything back online immediately.

Third, there's this annoying thing called "rockets and feathers." Gas prices shoot up fast when oil rises, but float down slowly when oil falls. Gas station owners don't want to be the first one in town to lower prices, so everyone just waits.

Every extra dollar gas prices rise costs the average American household about $1,000 a year. High energy costs also squeeze consumer spending across the board, which hits retailers, travel stocks, and anyone banking on confident shoppers. Oil falling on headlines is nice. Oil actually flowing again is what moves the needle for your portfolio.

Elected officials have had a tremendous amount of success in the market recently.

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We want to keep you updated on what they’re trading and when so you can leverage that intel as you plan out your own portfolio.

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That’s all for today. Write us and let us know your thoughts on the market, the newsletter, or the weather—we’d just love to hear from you.

Till next time,
— Brandon and Blake with Invested Inc.