March 2: This week in AI federal policy
DC/ai Decoded: A weekly newsletter on developments in artificial intelligence and quantum federal policy
This week decoded
Setting the stage for this week in federal AI policy, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei publicly rejected Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s ultimatum that the company permit its technologies to be used for autonomous weapons and large-scale surveillance—or face invocation of the 1950 Defense Production Act, granting the Pentagon authority to appropriate Anthropic’s products at will. In response, President Trump ordered “EVERY federal agency” to discontinue use of Anthropic systems, despite Claude’s status as the only AI model certified for deployment in the highest-level classified networks. The Department of Defense subsequently labeled Anthropic a supply chain risk.
Meanwhile, Congress continues to scrutinize the energy footprint of data centers amid growing AI infrastructure demands, and the Air Force published a request for information on offering land for lease for large-scale commercial-use data center construction in Alaska.
Read more below
Congress
Hearings
Last week
On February 24, the House Science, Space and Technology Investigations and Oversight Subcommittee held a hearing on “Powering America’s AI Future: Assessing Policy Options to Increase Data Center Infrastructure.”
On February 24, the House Education and the Workforce Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education Subcommittee held a hearing on “Building an AI-Ready America: Teaching in the AI Age.”
This week
On March 3, the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Science, Manufacturing, and Competitiveness Subcommittee holds a hearing on “Less Help, More Help: AI That Improves Safety, Productivity, and Care.”
On March 4, House Education and the Workforce Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Development holds the fifth hearing in a series examining artificial intelligence, titled “Building an AI-Ready America: Strengthening Employer-Led Training.”
On March 4, the House Foreign Affairs Committee will markup the Chip Security Act to require the Secretary of Commerce to issue standards with respect to chip security mechanisms for companies to track their AI chips overseas. (Text)
On March 5, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee holds a hearing on “Transforming Health Care with Data: Improving Patient Outcomes Through Next-Generation Care.”
Upcoming
On March 17, the House Financial Services Committee holds a hearing on “Updating America’s Financial Privacy Framework for the 21st Century.”
On March 26, the House Financial Services Digital Assets, Financial Technology, and Artificial Intelligence Subcommittee holds a hearing on “Innovation at the Speed of Markets: How Regulators Keep Pace with Technology.”
Legislation
The House passed the Small Business AI Advancement Act, sponsored by Reps. Mike Collins (R-GA) and Haley Stevens (D-MI). (Text)
Sens. Todd Young (R-IN) and Maria Cantwell (D-WA) reintroduced the Future of AI Innovation Act to direct the Center for AI Standards and Innovation at NIST to work with federal agencies and businesses to develop new voluntary guidelines on transparency standards, performance benchmarks and evaluations for AI systems. It also directs NIST to partner with the National Science Foundation and Energy Department, and the private sector, to create security risk assessment tools and test beds for AI companies to evaluate their systems. (Press release)
Resident Commissioner Pablo Jose Hernández (D-PR) introduced a bill to establish a grant program to provide awards to National Laboratories and institutions of higher education to develop secure artificial intelligence (AI) cyber-physical testbeds to simulate grid-scale cyberattacks. (Text)
Resident Commissioner Pablo Jose Hernández (D-PR) introduced a bill to establish an international strategy for AI research and development to improve outdated electrical grids. (Text)
Reps. Scott Franklin (R-FL) and Sanford Bishop (D-GA) reintroduced the Land Grant Research Prioritization Act, to help give land grant universities dedicated access to existing Department of Agriculture grant funding to enhance artificial intelligence, mechanization and other research. (Text)
Rep. Valerie Foushee (D-NC), a Co-Chair of the House Democratic Commission on AI and the Innovation Economy, announced she will be introducing the HBCU Artificial Intelligence Research Leadership Act to provide federal funding to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) to establish Artificial Intelligence (AI) Research Institutes. (Press release)
Correspondence
Senate Armed Services Committee Chair Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and Ranking Member Jack Reed (D-RI) and Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense Chair Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Vice Chair Chris Coons (D-DE) sent letters to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei expressing “concern over the escalatory direction of negotiations between the Department of Defense and Anthropic” and requesting they “extend the negotiating window and work with Congress to find a solution.” (Politico)
Rep. George Whitesides (D-CA) sent a letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth expressing concern that compelling a private company to abandon established safety policies on an accelerated timeline could set a dangerous precedent for how AI is deployed in high-stakes national security contexts. (Letter)
Trump Administration
White House
President Donald Trump announced a six-month phase-out period for the Pentagon and other agencies using Anthropic products. He warned that any resistance by Anthropic will provoke the President to use “the Full Power of the Presidency to make them comply, with major civil and criminal consequences to follow.” (Politico)
Department of Defense
The Department of the Air Force published a request for information on offering land for lease for large-scale commercial-use data center construction in Alaska at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Eielson Air Force Base, or Clear Space Force Station. (RFI)
Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) acting director Madhu Gottumukkala was reassigned to a role as DHS’s director of strategic implementation, and Nick Anderson, the executive assistant director for cybersecurity at CISA, will serve as CISA’s new acting director. (ABC News)
Noteworthy Quotes and Events
ADMINISTRATION
White House
In the 2026 State of the Union, President Trump said, “… many Americans are also concerned that energy demand from AI data centers could unfairly drive up their electric utility bills. Tonight, I’m pleased to announce that I have negotiated the new ratepayer protection pledge. You know what that is? We’re telling the major tech companies that they have the obligation to provide for their own power needs. They can build their own power plants as part of their factory, so that no one’s prices will go up and in many cases, prices of electricity will go down for the community, and very substantially then. This is a unique strategy never used in this country before. We have an old grid. It could never handle the kind of numbers, the amount of electricity that’s needed. So I’m telling them they can build their own plant, they’re going to produce their own electricity. It will ensure the company’s ability to get electricity, while at the same time lowering prices of electricity for you and could be very substantial. For all of these cities and towns, you’re going to see some good things happen over the next number of years.” (AP)
Trump posted on Truth Social, THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA WILL NEVER ALLOW A RADICAL LEFT, WOKE COMPANY TO DICTATE HOW OUR GREAT MILITARY FIGHTS AND WINS WARS! That decision belongs to YOUR COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF, and the tremendous leaders I appoint to run our Military. The Leftwing nut jobs at Anthropic have made a DISASTROUS MISTAKE trying to STRONG-ARM the Department of War, and force them to obey their Terms of Service instead of our Constitution. Their selfishness is putting AMERICAN LIVES at risk, our Troops in danger, and our National Security in JEOPARDY. Therefore, I am directing EVERY Federal Agency in the United States Government to IMMEDIATELY CEASE all use of Anthropic’s technology. We don’t need it, we don’t want it, and will not do business with them again! There will be a Six Month phase out period for Agencies like the Department of War who are using Anthropic’s products, at various levels. Anthropic better get their act together, and be helpful during this phase out period, or I will use the Full Power of the Presidency to make them comply, with major civil and criminal consequences to follow. WE will decide the fate of our Country — NOT some out-of-control, Radical Left AI company run by people who have no idea what the real World is all about. Thank you for your attention to this matter. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP”
White House AI & Crypto Czar David Sacks posted “True. And guess where those Biden AI staffers went to work as soon as the admin was over? Anthropic.”
Department of Defense
Secretary Pete Hegseth posted “This week, Anthropic delivered a master class in arrogance and betrayal as well as a textbook case of how not to do business with the United States Government or the Pentagon. Our position has never wavered and will never waver: the Department of War must have full, unrestricted access to Anthropic’s models for every LAWFUL purpose in defense of the Republic. Instead, AnthropicAI and its CEO DarioAmodei, have chosen duplicity. Cloaked in the sanctimonious rhetoric of ‘effective altruism,’ they have attempted to strong-arm the United States military into submission - a cowardly act of corporate virtue-signaling that places Silicon Valley ideology above American lives. The Terms of Service of Anthropic’s defective altruism will never outweigh the safety, the readiness, or the lives of American troops on the battlefield. Their true objective is unmistakable: to seize veto power over the operational decisions of the United States military. That is unacceptable. As President Trump stated on Truth Social, the Commander-in-Chief and the American people alone will determine the destiny of our armed forces, not unelected tech executives. Anthropic’s stance is fundamentally incompatible with American principles. Their relationship with the United States Armed Forces and the Federal Government has therefore been permanently altered. In conjunction with the President’s directive for the Federal Government to cease all use of Anthropic’s technology, I am directing the Department of War to designate Anthropic a Supply-Chain Risk to National Security. Effective immediately, no contractor, supplier, or partner that does business with the United States military may conduct any commercial activity with Anthropic. Anthropic will continue to provide the Department of War its services for a period of no more than six months to allow for a seamless transition to a better and more patriotic service. America’s warfighters will never be held hostage by the ideological whims of Big Tech. This decision is final.”
Department of Energy (DOE)
On the development of a minimum viable product within Genesis Mission, DOE’s under secretary for science and director of the Genesis Mission, Darío Gil, said, “We’re going to show quite a lot of results this year. We’re going to show results on our progress of building AI supercomputers … the software and the agentic framework.” He added, “We know how capable AI-driven cyberattacks will be, and that’s why from day one in everything that we do, we have a red-team, blue-team element to it. In the demos that the teams were showing me [last Thursday], it was already a built-in thing.” In addition, he said, “We’re going to use the most powerful AI network to attack ourselves, and we’re going to use the most powerful AI to defend ourselves.” (AIScoop)
Department of the Interior
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said, “A moratorium on data centers would — would be like, we might as well wave the surrender flag to China right now. I mean, it is, again — that’d be complete capitulation… These data centers, again, they’re not a data center in the traditional sense, these are a place where you manufacture intelligence. We have to manufacture intelligence.” (The Hill)
Federal Reserve
Governor Christopher Waller delivered remarks on “Operationalizing AI at the Federal Reserve” at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston 2026 Technology-Enabled Disruption Conference: Shaping the Future of Finance and Payments, saying, “As we see technologies like tokenization and agentic AI coming into view, it’s worth remembering that this isn’t the first time our industry has navigated shifts like this. When ATMs were first introduced, they didn’t eliminate bank tellers. Instead, they changed how banking worked. Routine transactions became cheaper, faster, and more accessible, while human effort shifted toward higher-value activities. The real impact wasn’t automation alone—it was how institutions reorganized around technology. AI is similar. The biggest gains won’t come from simply adding AI to existing processes. They’ll come from rethinking workflows, roles, and systems to take advantage of what this technology makes possible. What we don’t know—and can’t know—is exactly when these technologies will hit their full inflection point. We won’t get a clear signal when AI moves from rapid progress to truly systemic impact. But waiting for perfect clarity isn’t a strategy. If we want to be ready when that moment comes, the work has to start now.” (Remarks)
Governor Lisa Cook delivered opening remarks for the “AI and Productivity across the Economy” panel at “The Great Realignment: Navigating AI, Demographic, and Geoeconomic Shifts,” 42nd Annual NABE Economic Policy Conference, saying, “To be sure, the AI transition I am contemplating could have profound implications for monetary policy. It is too early to observe the exact contours, but I am carefully studying several aspects of this transition. Allow me to briefly raise two issues for consideration. First, if AI continues to raise productivity, economic growth could remain strong, even as churn in the labor market leads to an increase in unemployment…. Second, I am thinking about how AI might affect the neutral rate of interest in the short run and over time. To recall, the neutral rate is a long-run concept that articulates the equilibrium level of interest rates that is noninflationary and consistent with maximum employment… With investment contributing to strong aggregate demand, it is possible that the current neutral rate is higher than before the pandemic. This could reverse when the AI productivity gains are more fully realized or if the labor market transition leads to a rise in income inequality, such that well-off consumers receive a larger share of income, which could lower the neutral rate, all else equal.” (Remarks)
CONGRESS
Department of Defense vs. Anthropic
Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Andy Kim (D-NJ) released a statement on reports that Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth told Anthropic’s CEO Dario Amodei that the Pentagon would use the Defense Production Act (DPA) to against the company if it does not agree to Hegseth’s terms, saying, “Congress passed the DPA to mobilize the country’s economic and industrial resources to respond to emergencies and protect our national security, not to give Donald Trump and Pete Hegseth tools to extort American companies that refuse to help the Pentagon to surveil Americans or build killer robots. If Secretary Hegseth weaponizes the DPA against American companies, he will shatter the bipartisan consensus in support of a strong DPA – weakening our hand in competition with China and our ability to ensure American competitiveness.” (Press release)
Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE) posted “Demanding complete obedience from a private company so the Pentagon has the option to surveil Americans and develop self-firing weapons is chilling and totally inappropriate.”
Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) issued a statement, saying, “I’m deeply disturbed by reports that the Department of Defense is working to bully a leading U.S. company, which has already provided enormous utility to the intelligence community and warfighter. Most Americans oppose unsupervised autonomous weapon systems and AI-facilitated surveillance. Unfortunately, this is further indication that the Department of Defense seeks to completely ignore AI governance – something the Administration’s own Office of Management and Budget and Office of Science and Technology Policy have described as fundamental enablers of effective AI usage – and further underscores the need for Congress to enact strong, binding AI governance mechanisms for national security contexts.” (Press release)
Warner also said, “As one of Congress’ most vocal proponents for the modernization of IC and DoD missions with transformative technology, I have been actively working for years to ensure that the U.S has the compute, models, and talent to seize opportunities provided by AI. At the same time, the intelligence committees have consistently sought – on a bipartisan basis, and across administrations – to ensure that AI usage in the national security context meets rigorous, consistent, and transparent standards for AI governance, particularly in contexts in which AI usage has a significant potential impact on Americans’ core rights or results in the loss of human life. The president’s directive to halt the use of a leading American AI company across the federal government, combined with inflammatory rhetoric attacking that company, raises serious concerns about whether national security decisions are being driven by careful analysis or political considerations. President Trump and Secretary Hegseth’s efforts to intimidate and disparage a leading American company – potentially as the pretext to steer contracts to a preferred vendor whose model a number of federal agencies have already identified as a reliability, safety, and security threat – pose an enormous risk to U.S. defense readiness and the willingness of the U.S. private sector and academia to work with the IC and DoD, consistent with their own values and legal ethics. Indeed, Secretary Hegseth’s loud insistence on the sufficiency of an ‘all lawful purposes’ standard provides cold comfort against the backdrop of Pentagon leadership that has routinely sidelined career military attorneys and challenged longstanding norms and rules regarding lethal force.” (Press release)
Warner posted “Trump & Hegseth’s bullying of a company to deploy AI-driven weapons without safeguards should scare the hell out of all of us. This is about more than Anthropic – it’s about the responsible deployment of AI everywhere.”
Warner also posted “Why is Pete Hegseth trying to bully AI companies into giving him maximal control over powerful, potentially autonomous weapons? Does anyone really want the Signalgate King having this sort of power?”
Warner also posted “Most Americans oppose unsupervised autonomous weapons systems… so why the hell is the Department of Defense bullying an AI company into deploying them?”
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) said, “Secretary Hegseth’s attack on AI safety procedures contradicts common sense and undermines our national security. It also raises serious questions about why the DOD seeks to deploy autonomous weapons with an AI model neither designed nor ready to be used for such a purpose, as well to conduct mass domestic surveillance of American citizens. The Department must cease these efforts and provide the American people and Congress with full transparency on its plans to surveil Americans and develop fully autonomous weapons. Lawyers at the Justice Department and Department of Defense have been willing to use secret interpretations of law to put us into armed conflict abroad and the door should not be left open for them to do the same here through secret and novel interpretations of ‘any lawful purpose. Punishing AI safety destroys American leadership and will have a chilling effect on responsible AI development around the world. This is a gift to our adversaries and a strike against American innovation. America should be leading the world in developing international norms surrounding these technologies, ensuring outcomes in our national interest. Instead, Pete Hegseth is consigning us to runner-up status. Removing guardrails doesn’t produce efficiency; it guarantees a future of catastrophic harm. We must have clear AI safety procedures across military and civilian life – with humans in control. The health of our democracy and America’s leadership around the world depend on it not just in the military, but across health care, law enforcement, financial systems, and everything else this technology will touch. This event only underscores that Congress’ continued lack of action on AI legislation is creating a future of devastating consequences. We must create clear rules of the road to promote safety, protect civil rights, and ensure America’s AI innovation leads the world.” (Press release)
Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) posted “We need the best AI systems to stay ahead of our adversaries and keep Americans safe. That also means strong safeguards. If Hegseth kicks out the most capable provider because they want responsible guardrails, that makes us less safe and raises serious questions about how this administration plans to use AI. Congress must act and set clear rules for AI use to protect Americans and make sure we continue to have the most advanced fighting force in the world.”
Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-GA) posted “This is out of control. Pete Hegseth wants to use AI to fire weapons without human input. And he’s willing to blackmail a private company in order to do it. He is a threat to our safety and must be fired immediately.”
Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA) posted “DOD is still coercing Anthropic to allow its AI model to be used for mass surveillance and autonomous warfare. Imagine what they have planned. This can’t happen.”
Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) posted “Americans don’t want to be surveilled by their government, with AI or otherwise.”
Slotkin also posted “The average person does not think we should allow AI systems to get into war and kill people without a human being overseeing that. And I certainly don’t think any American wants AI-assisted mass surveillance on the American people.”
Rep. Valerie Foushee (D-NC) said, “Reports that Anthropic is stepping back from key safety commitments in the face of pressure from Secretary Hegseth and the Department of War are deeply troubling. AI companies have a responsibility to stand by the safeguards they publicly embraced and should not weaken them in response to political pressure. Doing the right thing should not depend on who is in the White House. Congress is watching. I firmly object to any effort by the Administration to strong-arm AI companies into enabling mass surveillance or developing weapons that operate without meaningful human control. These uses threaten civil liberties and human rights at home and around the world, and they raise profound moral and constitutional concerns. Targeting one of America’s leading AI companies because it refuses to abandon basic safety principles would also be strategically reckless and only strengthens China’s hand. I urge Secretary Hegseth and the Department to withdraw any demands that would undermine established AI safety guardrails. The United States must lead in responsible AI, not in abandoning safeguards or automating life-and-death decisions.” (Press release)
House Foreign Affairs Committee Dems posted, “The Department of Defense is coercing Anthropic simply because it is standing up for American values. We need to harness American AI innovation, not bully the companies doing it if we are going to win the AI race against China.”
Rep. Doris Matsui (D-CA) posted, “First it was universities and social media companies. Then it was the press. Now AI companies. Trump has made it clear: no American institution or company is safe from government retaliation if it doesn’t fall in line. Anthropic said no to mass surveillance and autonomous weapons. Look what happened.”
Rep. Rob Menendez (D-NJ) posted “Important that Anthropic rejected Hegseth’s pressure to allow the DOD to use their technology to enable mass surveillance or the development of weapons without human oversight. Removing necessary AI safeguards for military weapons would shake the conscience of our country. We cannot - and will not - allow it to happen.”
Rep. Sara Jacobs (D-CA) posted “The Pentagon’s move to bring Grok into its classified systems, while pressuring Anthropic to drop key safeguards, is deeply alarming. Undermining AI safety and civil liberties protections could cause large-scale harm. We can’t let this happen.”
Rep. Betty McCollum (D-MN) posted “The use of Anthropic’s artificial intelligence technology by the Department of Defense deserves tough scrutiny from Congress. We must understand exactly how DoD intends to use this technology and should hold hearings on the use of artificial intelligence in the military. Congress must ensure that the private data of Americans is protected and that our citizens are free from warrantless government surveillance.”
Data Center Energy Consumption
In his opening remarks at the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee hearing on “Powering America’s AI Future: Assessing Policy Options to Increase Data Center Infrastructure,” Investigations and Oversight Subcommittee Chair Rich McCormick (R-PA) said, “China is building data center and power infrastructure at considerable speed through centralized planning. Its data center electricity consumption is projected to grow dramatically over the next five years… We should also consider how this conversation extends beyond major metropolitan regions. Much of rural Georgia—and rural America—still operates on cooperative grid infrastructure originally built under mid-20th century electrification policy. That system was not designed for compute-intensive infrastructure. If AI integration expands into agriculture, logistics, and public services, rural grid capacity could become a binding constraint. So what needs to happen? We must evaluate whether a permitting framework largely designed in the 1970s is suited to infrastructure that is now central to national security and economic competitiveness in 2026. That includes reviewing litigation timelines and considering whether AI-related infrastructure warrants differentiated treatment. I am not advocating the elimination of environmental review. But we should ask whether the current process is meeting its intended goals efficiently—or simply creating unnecessary delay. I am not suggesting we adopt their system. But we should acknowledge that our competitors are not operating under the same constraints.” (Press release)
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) released a statement following an announcement of a data center moratorium in Denver, CO, “Let’s be clear. AI will likely have a catastrophic impact on the lives of working-class Americans, eliminating tens of millions of blue- and white-collar jobs in every sector of our economy. Further, given the extraordinary speed at which AI is progressing, a number of very knowledgeable AI experts fear that this revolutionary technology could soon become smarter than humans and escape human control — with potentially cataclysmic outcomes. Bottom line: We cannot sit back and allow a handful of billionaire Big Tech oligarchs to make decisions that will reshape our economy, our democracy and the future of humanity. We need serious public debate and democratic oversight over this enormously consequential issue. The time for action is now. We need a federal moratorium on AI data centers.” (Press release)
Sanders also said, “We need to slow down the development of [artificial intelligence] to give democracy a chance to catch up. A moratorium will give us time to figure out how to make sure AI does not harm our environment or jack up the cost of electricity.” (Politico)
Senator Ted Budd (R-NC) delivered remarks at The Washington Post Live event “Building America: Powering the AI Age”, saying, “It goes back to a conversation I had with Sam Altman… [where he] made the point that an electron, is an electron, is an electron. And if we are so constrained and protective and don’t build energy, it not only holds back AI, but also holds back manufacturing. It holds back technology. It holds back all sorts of production. I think that’s our main constraint right now when it comes to moving forward. So, if we have more energy, I believe we’ll be safer, more secure, and more resilient.” (Press release)
Sen. Ted Budd (R-NC) posted “If we don’t build energy, it not only holds back AI, but it also holds back manufacturing, technology, all sorts of production, airports, hospitals, and everyday practices. More energy means we’ll be safer, secure, and more resilient.”
On his bill with Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), the Guaranteeing Rate Insulation from Data Centers (GRID) Act, Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) said, “Voters are saying ‘We want some protections. We do not want to pay more in energy.’ I think that if we don’t get that message, I think that voters will make sure we get it. It’ll probably be unpleasant.” (Politico)
Hawley also said, “My bill is based on what the president talked about. It implements it, makes it permanent, makes it guaranteed, and it has bipartisan support. So I think we should do that.” (Politico)
Blumenthal said, “The administration has shown that it vacillates and loses enthusiasm on so many topics, especially when Big Tech is the adversary or is adversarial. So I think our bill is absolutely necessary, and it meets a really strongly felt need on the part of consumers… Let me be blunt — Big Tech has a lot of sway around here. And I expect they may say they’re for the idea, say they support the idea, but in fact work behind the scenes against it.” (Politico)
On his Power for the People Act, Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) said, “We will continue to open it up and reach out to Republicans. All of them say they sort of support the basic idea behind the bill, but we need them to join.” (Politico)
Energy and Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Martin Heinrich (D-NM) said, “I would definitely welcome [legislative action], and this is one of those areas where [Chair] Mike Lee [R-Utah] and I have been somewhat aligned in the communications that we’ve signed together to say, ‘Do not do this development on the backs of ratepayers,’” He added, “I think that there are a lot of developers and hyperscalers that are really botching this out of the gate.” (Politico)
On his Decentralized Access to Technology Alternatives (DATA) Act, Rep. Nick Begich (R-AK) said, “America leads when we provide the private sector the space it needs to move at the speed of innovation. The Data Act makes sure that leadership continues at what may be the most important technological moment in mankind’s history.” (Politico)
Rep. Adriano Espaillat (D-NY) posted “New Yorkers are feeling the squeeze from skyrocketing energy bills, which can be attributed to corporate greed, data centers, AI, and Trump’s insane policies on tariffs and renewable energy projects. We cannot rely on the market forces or existing authorities to rectify this problem — and everyday Americans need relief now. I wrote a letter to SpeakerJohnson urging him to use the power of his position and the GOP majority to design and advance frameworks for the federal government to regulate — and freeze — the ballooning utility rates, which are straining families, individuals, and small businesses alike.”
Rep. Bob Onder (R-MO) posted “Missouri led the nation by making sure massive AI data centers pay their fair share, so families aren’t stuck with higher energy bills. Hardworking Americans should never subsidize the cost of powering billion-dollar facilities. HouseGOP stands ready to work alongside POTUS to take this approach nationwide, protecting ratepayers, strengthening our grid, and continuing to put American families first.”
Rep. Rich McCormick (R-GA) posted “As President Trump announces his rate payer protection pledge, I am leading HouseGOP to help build data centers sustainability and quickly, while keeping our energy prices stable.”
Miscellaneous
On the GAIN AI Act, Sen. Jim Banks (R-IN) said, “Chairman Scott is having productive conversations with a lot of us. I’m optimistic there will be a markup in the near future on export controls, so we’ll see.” (Punchbowl)
On the SAFE Chips Act, Sen. Pete Ricketts (R-NE) said, “One of the things I need to do is get a briefing with some of my colleagues in a secure setting with the CIA.” (Punchbowl)
On the markup of the Chip Security Act, Rep. Bill Huizenga (R-MI) said, “We’re all trying to build towards the certainty of making sure that we know where those chips are.” (Punchbowl)
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) gave remarks at a press conference with Senate Republican leadership, saying, “I think technology and innovation is also something, artificial intelligence, I think there’s a path forward perhaps on some legislation to deal with that. We just heard from some folks who are experts in that field. But there’s just a lot of work to do.” (Press release)
In his opening statement, at the hearing on “Building an AI-Ready America: Teaching in the AI Age”, Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education Subcommittee Chair Kevin Kiley (R-CA) said, “Students aren’t just using these tools to get homework done faster; excessive or irresponsible use of AI as a crutch threatens to replace critical thinking, especially when used outside of teacher supervision. These problems have obvious consequences as educators must fundamentally rethink how they design assessments, assign homework, and ensure academic integrity. Unfortunately, teachers report receiving insufficient guidance on how to handle these challenges. For example, according to a recent RAND survey, only 34 percent of teachers reported their school or district has policies on academic integrity and AI.” (Press release)
In her opening statement at the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology Investigations and Oversight Subcommittee hearing on “Powering America’s AI Future: Assessing Policy Options to Increase Data Center Infrastructure,” Ranking Member Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) said, “Data center operators and their supporters should appreciate that their social license to operate is a valuable and fragile thing. It is in their own self-interest to be as transparent as possible about data center impacts so that the country can make reasoned judgments about how to sustainably mitigate them.” (Press release)
House Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Brian Mast (R-FL) told CNBC regarding NVIDIA chip sales to China, “The joke here is, Jensen wants us to trust the CCP. Anybody watching this should laugh.” He added, “We are in an AI arms race, and it’s important that we know where the AI arms dealers are selling.” (CNBC)
On Congressional oversight of semiconductor deals, Mast said, “when it blends into the world of now, it’s real war, real weapon systems, real casualties at the highest level of all militaries, yeah, we’re going to have a say.” (CNBC)
On the White House’s AI & Crypto Czar David Sacks retweeting posts against Mast’s bill, the AI Overwatch Act, Mast said, “What he was promoting was literally mercenary influencers, about a dozen of them, telling literal lies.” (CNBC)
On job displacement, Senator Ted Budd (R-NC) said, “I don’t worry about being replaced because humanity is going to be collaborating with AI. Let’s remember that AI exists inside of human ingenuity.” (Press release)
Rep. Valerie Foushee (D-NC) posted “Ensuring equity in AI also means ensuring equity in education—communities of color cannot be left behind. I’m introducing the HBCU AI Research Leadership Act to ensure that students at our nation’s HBCUs can also have the opportunity to engage in AI education and research.”
Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) posted “The Trump administration wants you to stop talking about prior authorization so they can let insurance companies use AI to delay and deny your claims while you get sicker and sicker”
Rep. Greg Casar (D-TX) posted “We must ban surveillance pricing now before even more companies start using AI to charge you more based on your personal data. I’ve introduced the first federal bill to ban it, and I’m glad to see a proposal in New Jersey to do the same.”
Sen. Todd Young (R-IN) posted “We need to make sure America, not China, leads in AI.”
House Foreign Affairs Committee Majority posted “More evidence that without US technology, China won’t win the AI Arms Race. Beijing is living off stolen tech and borrowed time.”
Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) posted “SecretaryBurgum is correct. I refuse to help hand the lead in AI to China. The AI chassis can either come from China or the USA. That’s an easy choice.”
Sen. Todd Young (R-IN) posted “We need to boost U.S. innovation in AI and ensure it is developed in a manner that reflects American values and supports our country and people. The Future of AI Innovation Act will help secure American leadership in the global race for AI dominance.”
House Science Committee posted “The U.S. AI regulatory landscape is rapidly evolving. To ensure America leads in AI innovation and development, we need a clear understanding of how current regulations impact growth and competitiveness. That’s why Chairman RepBrianBabin and Research and Technology Subcommittee Chairman JayObernolte sent a letter to USGAO requesting a comprehensive review of existing AI regulations.”
Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) posted “AI is increasingly present in the classroom, but educators and students are often left to navigate its risks and opportunities without support. While Trump dismantles the Department of Education, House Democrats are dedicated to providing every student and teacher with access to the resources and knowledge they need to succeed in the classrooms and careers of tomorrow.”
Sen. Ted Budd (R-NC) posted “Utilizing AI has great potential to maximize skills, improve safety, and enhance many experiences Americans encounter daily. When developed and deployed responsibly, these technologies can unlock solutions and improve career outcomes in sectors across our economy.”
House Committee on Education and the Workforce posted “The President is right—AI could revolutionize schools. We stand with educators who want to use AI safely and responsibly in their classrooms.”
Sen. Mike Rounds (R-SD) posted “America can’t afford to wait on AI development. President Trump recognizes the importance of developing AI here at home and harnessing its power for good.”
Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) posted “I appreciate HouseForeignGOP RepHuizenga’s continued support for the bipartisan Chip Security Act. Communist China wants to surpass us as the world leader in AI, and will cheat and steal to get ahead. Our most advanced technology can’t fall into the wrong hands.”
Rep. Brad Sherman (D-CA) posted “Whoever leads in AI may lead this century — but what if AI itself is in control? We’re spending trillions to make AI more powerful and almost nothing to ensure it remains controllable. I’m pushing legislation to change that.”
House Foreign Affairs Committee Majority posted “China’s AI chips can’t compete with America’s, so Beijing resorts to theft instead. We support the Trump Administration’s efforts to crack down on these smuggling networks.”
House Foreign Affairs Committee Democrats posted “DeepSeek is circumventing U.S. export controls to steal our most advanced AI technology, yet the Trump administration won’t commit to denying H200 licenses for DeepSeek. Make it make sense.”
Rep. Warren Davidson (R-OH) posted “This is why the industry wants preemptive immunity. Privacy is the base layer for ethical AI. While massive data theft has already occurred, passing my It’s Your Data Act would recognize everyone’s property right to their own data. Nevertheless, enforcement would likely never occur.”
Rep. Mark DeSaulnier (D-CA) posted “As our civil rights are under relentless attack from the Trump Administration, I am prouder than ever to receive a 100% scorecard from ACLU. Whether it be standing up for free speech or regulating AI to protect privacy, I’m committed to protecting your rights and freedoms in Congress.”
What I’m Reading This Week
Artificial Intelligence in Election Campaigns: Perceptions, Penalties, and Implications, Andreas Jungherr, Adrian Rauchfleisch, and Alexander Wuttke, Political Communication.
Statement from Dario Amodei on our discussions with the Department of War, Anthropic.
AI and the Data Center Backlash, The Wall Street Journal.
About Zero One Strategies
Zero One Strategies is a specialized government relations practice dedicated to navigating the complex landscape of U.S. federal policy in emerging technologies. As advancements in technology continue to outpace regulatory frameworks, Zero One Strategies aims to provide strategic guidance and bipartisan advocacy for innovators and businesses operating at the forefront of technological development.
The practice focuses on key areas such as artificial intelligence, digital assets, blockchain, decentralized technologies, cybersecurity, data, and digital infrastructure, as well as the multiple policy issues impacting these sectors, including tax and financial services.
Contact us at Stacey@ZeroOneStrategies.com
