McGuire Voted for a $362 Billion Corporate Tax Break for Data Centers

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA — As communities across our region rise up in opposition to data centers, Rep. John McGuire voted to provide hundreds of billions in corporate tax breaks to the “hyperscalers” driving the data center boom across Virginia and the country. A new investigation by POLITICO reveals that America’s biggest AI companies are already taking advantage of the data center acceleration incentives that McGuire supported in Congress.

McGuire voted for H.R. 1, which handed corporations a $362 billion tax break, according to the nonpartisan Joint Committee on Taxation. The law made it possible for companies to frontload the deduction of the full cost of new equipment from their taxes, a huge benefit for technology companies known as “hyperscalers” that are driving the data center boom across Virginia and the country.

“No wonder McGuire has refused to meet with communities about their opposition to data centers and Valley Link. He was too busy voting to give a massive tax break to the data center companies, while raising taxes and costs on all of us,” said Tom Perriello. “When most people are demanding that we pump the brakes on data centers, McGuire gave the richest companies in the world a massive tax break to accelerate full throttle.”

Those consequences are already reaching communities across Virginia’s Fifth District. The proposed Valley Link transmission line would cut through farms and private property across Central Virginia to carry more power through the region. While local landowners have organized to fight the project, McGuire voted to subsidize the trillion-dollar industry driving the buildout.

Perriello has stood with the landowners fighting back. He has attended community meetings, walked the proposed Valley Link route with affected families and helped local organizers raise money to challenge the project.

“From the beginning, Tom has stood firmly against the disruption to our communities imposed by the unconstrained buildout of data centers and power lines. John McGuire has been ‘missing in action,’” said Dave, a Fluvanna County resident.

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