# Pete Ricketts Republican Senator · NE [Official site ↗](https://www.ricketts.senate.gov) [JSON](https://whovotedwhy.com/data/politicians/R000618.json) [Report an error](mailto:hello@jonasneves.com?subject=WhoVotedWhy%20correction%3A%20member%20R000618&body=Row%20or%20page%3A%20member%20R000618%0AWhat%20is%20wrong%3A%0APrimary%20source%20that%20shows%20it%3A%0A) 3 press releases on AI $84K from AI-industry employees and PACs AI super PACs: $263K for, $0 against Data as of: votes Oct 21, 2026 · statements Oct 19, 2026 · contributions Oct 19, 2026 · super PAC spending Oct 23, 2026. [What changed](https://whovotedwhy.com/data/changes.json) ## Said and voted ### Same bill, both records Bills this member both voted on and cited in a release. Shown side by side; no score is drawn from them ([why](https://whovotedwhy.com/about)). [Ratepayer Protection Act](https://whovotedwhy.com/bills/a43d67bbafe647d3) YEA [On Cloture on the Motion to Proceed](https://whovotedwhy.com/votes/c4ab5f94505ce4d8) cloture · Sep 30, 2026 · Rejected 57-43 mixed Oct 14, 2026 Ricketts supports strengthening American AI innovation and export controls on chips to China while backing 'commonsense guardrails' for safety without stifling innovation. [Read the release ↗](https://www.ricketts.senate.gov/news/press-releases/ricketts-champions-ai-innovation-and-safety/) toward oversight Sep 18, 2026 Ricketts supports the Ratepayer Protection Act requiring AI data centers to pay full utility costs rather than passing them to ratepayers, framing it as part of beating China in the AI race. [Read the release ↗](https://www.ricketts.senate.gov/news/press-releases/ricketts-supports-ratepayer-protection-act/) ### What they said mixed Oct 14, 2026 Ricketts supports strengthening American AI innovation and export controls on chips to China while backing 'commonsense guardrails' for safety without stifling innovation. “WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, is leading the charge to position the United States as a leader on Artificial Intelligence (AI…” [Source ↗](https://www.ricketts.senate.gov/news/press-releases/ricketts-champions-ai-innovation-and-safety/) [cites HR.9340 by title](https://whovotedwhy.com/bills/a43d67bbafe647d3) toward oversight Sep 18, 2026 Ricketts supports the Ratepayer Protection Act requiring AI data centers to pay full utility costs rather than passing them to ratepayers, framing it as part of beating China in the AI race. “WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE) announced his support for the Ratepayer Protection Act. Senator Ricketts is a cosponsor of this legislation introduced by Senator Jon Husted (R-OH)…” [Source ↗](https://www.ricketts.senate.gov/news/press-releases/ricketts-supports-ratepayer-protection-act/) [cites HR.9340](https://whovotedwhy.com/bills/a43d67bbafe647d3) toward oversight Aug 11, 2026 Ricketts promotes the bipartisan MATCH Act to multilateralize semiconductor equipment export controls and deny China the compute needed to overtake U.S. AI. “The following op-ed by U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE) and U.S. Senator Andy Kim (D-NJ) was originally published by the Washington Times on August 10, 2026. Industry and government officials widely…” [Source ↗](https://www.ricketts.senate.gov/news/press-releases/ricketts-op-ed-match-act-can-protect-americas-ai-lead-from-china/) Summaries and stance tags are written by a model; the release is the record. ### How they voted YEA Sep 30, 2026 [Ratepayer Protection Act](https://whovotedwhy.com/votes/c4ab5f94505ce4d8) cloture · H.R. 9340 · Rejected 57-43 NAY Jul 16, 2026 [A joint resolution providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services of the Department of Health and Human Services relating to "Medicare Program; Implementation of Prior Authorization for Select Services for the Wasteful and Inappropriate Services Reduction (WISeR) Model".](https://whovotedwhy.com/votes/de7744646acadb2c) motion to proceed · S.J.Res. 198 · Rejected 46-50 YEA Jul 14, 2026 [National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2027](https://whovotedwhy.com/votes/1582c6eb48e4c5fc) cloture · S. 4784 · Rejected 50-46 YEA Dec 17, 2025 [National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026](https://whovotedwhy.com/votes/bca10742d0876330) procedural · S. 1071 · Agreed to 77-20 YEA Dec 15, 2025 [National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026](https://whovotedwhy.com/votes/47dfb73a82b0a2ce) cloture · S. 1071 · Agreed to 76-20 YEA Dec 11, 2025 [National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026](https://whovotedwhy.com/votes/dd1489dacf44112f) motion to proceed · S. 1071 · Agreed to 75-22 YEA Jul 1, 2025 [To strike the section relating to support for artificial intelligence.](https://whovotedwhy.com/votes/5759c87e484cf21b) amendment · H.R. 1 · S.Amdt. 2814 · Agreed to 99-1 ## AI super PAC spending in this race Independent expenditures reported to the FEC, 2026 cycle. This money never touches the campaign; it is spent for or against the candidate directly. Supporting · Defending Our Values PAC (Public First) $263K [Every filing in this race →](https://whovotedwhy.com/candidates/S6NE00129) [Which PACs, and who funds them →](https://whovotedwhy.com/follow-the-money) ## Contributions from AI-industry employees and PACs Itemized receipts to this member's campaign committee where the contributor's employer or the contributing PAC is on the alias list. An employee's personal gift is not the company's. $68K From employees and investors, personally $17K From company PACs ### By employer Company PACs in teal; employees' personal gifts in black. Spellings are unified through the alias list. ### Largest gifts | Date | Contributor | Employer, as filed | Amount | Filing | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Jun 18, 2026 | AMAZON.COM SERVICES LLC SEPARATE SEGREGATED FUND (AMAZON PAC) | PAC | $5K | [↗](https://docquery.fec.gov/cgi-bin/fecimg/?202607159890616507) | | Mar 12, 2026 | GOOGLE LLC NETPAC | PAC | $5K | [↗](https://docquery.fec.gov/cgi-bin/fecimg/?202607159890614446) | | Mar 28, 2025 | GOOGLE LLC NETPAC | PAC | $5K | [↗](https://docquery.fec.gov/cgi-bin/fecimg/?202607159890562286) | | Jun 23, 2026 | Jacob Ehrlich | ANTHROPIC | $4K | [↗](https://docquery.fec.gov/cgi-bin/fecimg/?202607159890616578) | | Jun 22, 2026 | Jason Clinton | ANTHROPIC | $4K | [↗](https://docquery.fec.gov/cgi-bin/fecimg/?202607159890616579) | | Jun 15, 2026 | Peter Lofgren | ANTHROPIC | $4K | [↗](https://docquery.fec.gov/cgi-bin/fecimg/?202607159890616578) | | Jun 9, 2026 | Todor Markov | ANTHROPIC | $4K | [↗](https://docquery.fec.gov/cgi-bin/fecimg/?202607159890616577) | | May 4, 2026 | Carson Denison | ANTHROPIC | $4K | [↗](https://docquery.fec.gov/cgi-bin/fecimg/?202607159890616588) | | May 4, 2026 | Carson Denison | ANTHROPIC | $4K | [↗](https://docquery.fec.gov/cgi-bin/fecimg/?202607159890616577) | | May 1, 2026 | Trenton Bricken | ANTHROPIC | $4K | [↗](https://docquery.fec.gov/cgi-bin/fecimg/?202607159890616589) | | May 1, 2026 | Andrew Jones | ANTHROPIC | $4K | [↗](https://docquery.fec.gov/cgi-bin/fecimg/?202607159890616589) | | May 1, 2026 | Trenton Bricken | ANTHROPIC | $4K | [↗](https://docquery.fec.gov/cgi-bin/fecimg/?202607159890616578) | | May 1, 2026 | Andrew Jones | ANTHROPIC | $4K | [↗](https://docquery.fec.gov/cgi-bin/fecimg/?202607159890616577) | | Mar 1, 2026 | Brad Smith | MICROSOFT CORPORATION | $4K | [↗](https://docquery.fec.gov/cgi-bin/fecimg/?202607159890614389) | | Mar 1, 2026 | Brad Smith | MICROSOFT CORPORATION | $4K | [↗](https://docquery.fec.gov/cgi-bin/fecimg/?202607159890614389) | Source: [OpenFEC Schedule A](https://api.open.fec.gov), itemized receipts only, 2026 cycle, read Oct 19, 2026. The FEC itemizes a contributor once their gifts to a committee pass $200 in aggregate.