This week decoded
The midterm results on Tuesday will shape Washington’s agenda on AI, quantum, cyber, and data policy for the next two years. In the final week before the election, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle laid the groundwork on table-stakes issues like oversight, governance, standards, and safety.
Across the agencies, NIST released a report guiding federal implementation of its post-quantum cryptography standards. HHS continued its deregulatory push, scaling back AI-related requirements for electronic health records. The U.S. Copyright Office proposed rules for its triennial review of when people can legally bypass digital locks on copyrighted content. And the SEC named AI and advanced technologies among its 2027 examination priorities.
Read more below
Congress
Hearings
Congress returns next week.
Legislation
Reps. Mark Takano (D-CA), Sean Casten (D-IL), Bill Foster (D-IL), Don Beyer (D-VA), and Jay Obernolte (R-CA) introduced the Congressional Office of Technology Improvement and Enhancement Act to reestablish Congress’ Office of Technology Assessment. (Text)
Rep. Rich McCormick (R-GA) introduced the Common-Sense Cloud Security Act to direct the National Institute of Standards and Technology to develop updated standards to protect sensitive data, prevent cyberattacks, and secure critical infrastructure. (Text)
Rep. James Gallagher (R-CA) introduced the Countering Online Trafficking Act to require the State Department’s Ambassador-at-Large for the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons to assess whether the office has the technical expertise needed to address AI-facilitated trafficking. (Press release)
House Financial Services Chair Maxine Waters (D-CA) and Rep. Greg Casar (D-TX) introduced a resolution warning of the economic risks posed by an artificial-intelligence-related asset bubble, opposing a bailout of corporations and executives impacted by a collapse, and affirming support for aggressive federal action to protect workers, retirees, and low-income communities who will be harmed by an economic downturn. (Text)
Correspondence
House Energy and Commerce Committee Ranking Member Frank Pallone (D-NJ), Science, Space, and Technology Committee Ranking Member Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), and Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Jamie Raskin (D-MD) sent a letter to Anthropic, Google, Meta, OpenAI, and SpaceXSI requesting information and ongoing reporting to Congress about AI model misalignment and safety incidents within 48 hours of incident detection. (Press release)
House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Chair James Comer (R-KY) sent letter to Delaware Governor Matt Meyer requesting information about the State of Delaware’s efforts to establish an Artificial Intelligence Company (AIC), in which an “AI agent would run day-to-day operations of a corporate entity while providing the human or entity behind the AIC with liability protections from potential harms to consumers, the public, and business partners perpetuated by the controlling AI.” (Letter)
House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Jamie Raskin (D-MD) and Oversight Committee Ranking Member Robert Garcia (D-CA) sent a letter to President Trump demanding he preserve any prompt to and response received from Grok, ChatGPT, and Claude, and other AI chatbots while performing constitutional, statutory, or other official or ceremonial duties. (Letter)
Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee Ranking Member Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) sent a letter to Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei requesting information about the company’s disclosures in its IPO filing that advanced AI systems could pose “catastrophic or existential risks to humanity.” (Letter)
Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA) sent a letter to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg urging he cancel planned commercial terms that would allow Meta to crawl and scrape companies’ websites with AI bots if they use Meta social media platforms for business. (Letter)
Publications and Events
Rep. Pat Fallon (R-TX) published an op-ed in The National Interest entitled “New Age Cyber Threats Are Here—the US Must Be Prepared.” He says, “It is time for the US government to rethink and restructure our cyber capabilities, and I stand ready to support President Trump and our private-sector partners as we work to secure our digital domain and protect the American people. My message to our cyber adversaries is clear: if you come for the best, you’re going offline like the rest.” (Op-ed)
Sen. John Curtis (R-UT) published an op-ed entitled “Artificial Intelligence Could Use a Little Common Sense,” saying, “These [AI] risks, however, do make one very obvious point: human wisdom will always be needed. So, you’ll forgive me if I’m not convinced we’re headed toward a world where nobody works and we all sit around collecting universal income from the machines. Will AI dramatically change employment? Almost certainly. Will it eliminate entire categories of jobs? Very possibly. Will it create new jobs we haven’t even imagined? I suspect so. And in each of them, we will still need humans in the loop to guide the technology, catch its blind spots, and decide which lines shouldn’t be crossed. Because extraordinary intelligence, whether it comes from a machine or a human being, doesn’t guarantee good judgment.” (Op-ed)
Trump Administration
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
NIST released a report entitled Transition to Post-Quantum Cryptography Standards (NISTIR 8547) detailing existing quantum-vulnerable cryptographic standards and the quantum-resistant standards that are designed to replace them and describing the timelines and migration activities for federal agencies. The report is also intended to serve as a resource for technology providers and organizations that are developing their quantum-readiness road maps. (Report)
Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
The FTC ordered Delta, United, JetBlue, Lyft, Uber, DoorDash, Instacart, Target and Walmart to provide detailed information that will allow the agency to assess whether the pricing for a ticket, ride share, food delivery or other product or service varies from one person to the next based on factors such as participation in loyalty programs or analysis of personal data by superintelligence algorithms. (Order)
United States Copyright Office
The U.S. Copyright Office published a proposed rule under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act on temporary exemptions to the DMCA’s prohibition against circumvention of technological measures that control access to copyrighted works. (Federal Register)
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
As part of deregulation efforts around health information technology standards, HHS released a final rule reducing AI-related requirements on electronic health records, including a rule requiring vendors to provide a “nutrition label” for health AI products. (Rule)
White House
The White House released a Memorandum of Understanding Between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of Finland Regarding the Technology Prosperity Deal, following the countries’ Agreement Relating to Scientific and Technological Cooperation signed in May. The MOU seeks to “enable collaboration towards joint opportunities of mutual interest in strategic science and technology disciplines with a focus on strengthening industrial cooperation and accelerating the development, deployment, and adoption of emerging technologies to power the next generation of global connectivity, secure quantum advantage, advance energy leadership, develop advanced semiconductors, strengthen space collaboration, advance an open and secure super intelligence (SI) stack, accelerate secure biotechnology innovation, strengthen research and industrial security, and advance shipbuilding modernization and Arctic technology cooperation.” (MOU)
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
The SEC published the Division of Examinations’ Fiscal Year 2027 report on examination priorities, including “operational resiliency, cybersecurity, and protection of customer information” and “Emerging technologies, including super intelligence and other advanced technologies that may affect market operations, compliance, fraud prevention, and investor protection.” (Report)
Noteworthy Quotes
ADMINISTRATION
White House
President Trump posted “When will The Wall Street Journal start calling Artificial Intelligence (AI), a very bad and inaccurate name, SI (Super Intelligence), the name which virtually everyone else is using, or soon will be. In short order, we will be officially BANNING the term, “AI/Artificial Intelligence,” in all relevant documents, and everything else, due to its inaccuracy. Thank you for your attention to this matter. President DONALD J. TRUMP”
CONGRESS
AI Safety
Rep. Valerie Foushee (D-NC) posted “I joined my USProgressives colleagues in denouncing OpenAI’s firing of whistleblowers. OpenAI claims they were fired because they mishandled information, but the firings came after the researchers raised concerns about new AI architecture possibly making AI harder to control. These actions and the long history of cybersecurity and lack of transparency from AI corporations demonstrate that they are not focused on serving the public good. HouseDemocrats must make clear that we will hold these companies accountable.”
Foushee also posted “Claude’s access to paywalled Georgia voter data further demonstrates that AI corporations cannot be trusted to regulate themselves. AI-driven cyberattacks continue to threaten personal data and civil rights. Congress needs to come to the table and pass legislation to protect the American people immediately.”
Sen. John Curtis (R-UT) posted “The most important ingredient in the ‘super intelligence era is the one thing a machine can’t generate.”
Curtis also posted “It’s hard to imagine a group right now that is more out of touch with everyday Americans than the AI industry. Take, for just one example, a policy proposal from a major industry player. It would define a ‘catastrophic incident’ as causing 50 deaths or more—as if avoiding federal scrutiny for even a single death caused by their products were excusable.”
Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) posted “AI is already at a point where rogue agents are accessing Americans’ bank accounts. Standing by is not an option. I have legislation introduced and ready to pass to get some serious guardrails around this unregulated tech.”
Rep. Greg Casar (D-TX) posted “My colleagues and I are demanding that OpenAI not fire whistleblowers and keep its most powerful models paused until there’s real oversight. AI CEOs should also be dragged in front of Congress and asked about the risks they’re putting on us.”
Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ) posted “Dozens of AI safety incidents have come to light in recent months, with thousands more under investigation. We can’t count on the Trump Administration to act, so I’m working with RepZoeLofgren and RepRaskin to ask AI companies to report incidents to Congress. Congress needs to put real guardrails on AI, and this information will help us get it right.”
House Energy & Commerce Committee Democrats posted “NEWS: After dozens of incidents, top House Democrats request frontier AI companies report detailed information about misalignment and safety incidents to Congress within 48 hours.”
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) posted “Anthropic is saying that AI models could pose catastrophic or existential risks to humanity. At the same time, Anthropic is planning the largest IPO in history, which would accelerate the development of this technology while leaving Americans holding the bag if the AI bubble bursts. I wrote to CEO Dario Amodei asking for real answers about the risks before they try and go public.”
Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) posted “Google is putting profits over people—& children are paying the price. It’s aggressively pushing AI in classrooms, damaging students’ academic & emotional well-being. I’m demanding Google be responsible.”
Rep. Sam Liccardo (D-CA) posted “AI agents with access to your bank account should meet strict safety and accountability standards. Congress must make that duty explicit and determine who is liable when agents exceed their authority.”
Rep. Delia Ramirez (D-IL) posted “Everyday makes it clearer: Congress can’t allow AI to continue operate without guardrails, oversight, or accountability. The reckless acceleration of AI has shown us that it can be a threat to working families and our democracy. But we don’t need AI; it needs us. We must take action to protect our privacy, civil liberties, and democratic institutions.”
Rep. Rob Menendez (D-NJ) posted “My HouseDemocrats colleagues and I are ready to take action to address AI with the urgency it requires. Republicans can’t say the same.”
Cybersecurity
Rep. Rich McCormick (R-GA) posted “AI is giving hackers new tools, but it can also be our greatest defense. We need to harness American innovation to stay ahead of emerging threats. That’s exactly why I introduced the Common-Sense Cloud Security Act: to modernize cybersecurity standards, leverage AI-powered threat detection, and protect Americans’ sensitive information.”
McCormick also posted “What happens when the digital systems we depend on every day are no longer secure? Our finances. Our medical records. Our communications. Even the infrastructure keeping the lights on. We trust these systems with nearly every aspect of our lives. It’s time our cybersecurity standards reflect what’s at stake. That’s why I introduced the Common-Sense Cloud Security Act.”
McCormick also posted “Cyber threats are evolving. Our defenses must keep pace. My Common-Sense Cloud Security Act would modernize cybersecurity standards, strengthen threat detection, and protect Americans’ sensitive information.”
McCormick also posted “Cyberattacks are inevitable. Letting them spread shouldn’t be. My Common-Sense Cloud Security Act makes containing cyberattacks a measurable cybersecurity standard, helping isolate threats before they spread throughout a system. Stop the attack. Contain the damage. Protect Americans’ data.”
McCormick also posted “AI is changing the cybersecurity landscape. The recent discovery of critical PHP vulnerabilities is proof that our defenses must keep pace. That’s why I introduced the Common-Sense Cloud Security Act to strengthen cloud security, leverage AI to detect threats, and limit the damage when hackers break in. We can’t afford to fall behind.”
McCormick also posted “AI is making it easier than ever for hackers to break into cloud systems. The threat is real, and no defense is foolproof. But we can limit the damage once attackers get in. That’s exactly what my Common-Sense Cloud Security Act is designed to do.”
McCormick also posted “Our lives depend on secure digital systems. Our cybersecurity standards need to keep up. My Common-Sense Cloud Security Act takes on evolving cyber threats, strengthens protections for sensitive information, and helps secure America’s digital future.”
McCormick also posted “As technology advances, so do the threats to Americans’ sensitive information. My Common-Sense Cloud Security Act will modernize cybersecurity standards, strengthen defenses against cyberattacks, and encourage AI-powered threat detection. Our cybersecurity must keep pace with the technology we depend on.”
McCormick also posted “Our medical records, financial information, and critical infrastructure all depend on secure digital systems. Today, I introduced the Common-Sense Cloud Security Act to modernize cybersecurity standards, strengthen protections against cyberattacks, and keep Americans’ sensitive information safe. As technology evolves, our cybersecurity must keep pace.”
McCormick also posted “Cyber threats are evolving, and America’s security standards need to keep pace. My Common-Sense Cloud Security Act would modernize cybersecurity standards, strengthen digital protections, and leverage AI to detect emerging threats. The threats aren’t slowing down. Neither should our defenses.”
McCormick also posted “NEW BILL: I introduced the Common-Sense Cloud Security Act to protect Americans’ sensitive information, strengthen cybersecurity, and harness AI to combat emerging threats. America runs on the cloud. Our security must keep pace. POLITICO covered the legislation in this morning’s cybersecurity newsletter.”
Rep. Pat Harrigan (R-NC) posted “TWO MINUTE TOWN HALL. What happens when our adversaries can copy billions of dollars’ worth of American technology without paying to develop it themselves? This week, we’re talking about that threat, what AI-powered cyberattacks could mean for our hospitals and power grids, and how my bipartisan AI Cyber Defense Act takes on both problems.”
Harrigan also posted “My bipartisan AI Cyber Defense Act is getting international attention, and for good reason. America cannot afford to lead the world in AI only to hand our adversaries the tools to attack our own critical infrastructure.”
Rep. Pat Fallon (R-TX) posted “For too long, U.S. cyber defenses have been siloed, preventing us from reacting quickly to threats like PHP2Shell. My bill codifies POTUS’s EO establishing the National Coordination Center which is critical to getting ahead of this new era of cyber threats.”
Rep. Seth Magaziner (D-RI) posted “Cybersecurity is national security, and Rhode Island College is helping keep us on the cutting edge. Great to join former Rep. Jim Langevin, who is helping lead this effort, at the groundbreaking for RIC’s Whipple building renovation to train students in emerging technologies.”
Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX) posted “San Antonio is home to the 16th Air Force, which leads the Air Force’s cyber and information warfare mission. The airmen and civilians who serve there work to defend our nation against cyber threats. I voted for the House-passed FY27 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations bill, which includes report language encouraging the Air Force to plan for a modern, secure headquarters that meets the needs of this mission. I will continue pressing for the planning and funding the 16th Air Force needs to carry out this important work.”
Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-NM) posted “I’m closely monitoring the cybersecurity incident at UNM Health System and am doing everything I can to ensure all available federal resources are being deployed. I’m grateful to the healthcare providers, administrators, and staff working hard to respond to this incident and minimize disruptions for New Mexicans.”
Health Care
Rep. Suzan DelBene (D-WA) posted “The more we learn about Trump’s AI Medicare experiment, the more we can clearly see the damage it’s doing. New documents confirm a botched rollout of the program that left WA seniors suffering in pain & providers navigating confusing red tape. I will continue pressuring the administration for transparency & fighting to repeal this harmful program.”
Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) posted “Bowen Wan died after ChatGPT encouraged her to taper off her life-saving epilepsy medication and hide it from her doctors, insisting it was safe even when she told it she didn’t feel right. These AI chatbots are prioritizing engagement over safety — and are giving deadly medical advice. This is why we need my AI Charter framework. To save lives and protect people like Bowen.”
Rep. Rich McCormick (R-GA) posted “I recently wrote an op-ed in WashTimes about how AI is ushering in a new era of medical breakthroughs. From detecting diseases earlier to developing lifesaving treatments, the possibilities are extraordinary. American leadership in AI is more important than ever.”
McCormick also posted “AI is revolutionizing the future of medicine. In just 32 minutes, thousands of AI agents analyzed data from millions of brain cells, uncovering promising new leads for Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and other neurological diseases. This is why American leadership in AI matters. The potential to save lives is extraordinary.”
White House Use of AI Chatbots
House Judiciary Committee Democrats posted “Trusting Grok with American foreign policy, while bypassing Congress, is reckless and lawless. AI chatbots make mistakes, and Musk has a track record of manipulating Grok to serve his own selfish agenda. Worse, sensitive military strategy could be flowing to Musk’s private company while he’s playing on Putin’s team. This is a national security nightmare.”
House Judiciary Committee Democrats also posted “NEW: Ranking Members RepRaskin, RepRobertGarcia demand White House preserve Trump’s AI chatbot conversations after reports he consulted Elon Musk’s Grok on Venezuela military operation.”
Workforce
Rep. Sara Jacobs (D-CA) posted “If Congress does nothing, the rise of AI could create the biggest wealth transfer in history from the bottom to the top. That’s why I’ve introduced bills, like the Tax and Work Protection Act and the AI-Related Job Impacts Clarity Act to protect workers.”
Rep. Laura Friedman (D-CA) posted “Workers in Hollywood have every right to be concerned about how AI will affect their jobs. That’s why the bipartisan national film tax credit we introduced late last month rewards the humans behind the work, not AI.”
Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) posted “The companies that stand to profit the most from AI should invest in American workers. My Make AI Work for Americans Act makes that happen.”
Data Privacy
Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) posted “A trip to the doctor shouldn’t put your private information up for sale. Technologies like wellness apps and smartwatches can improve care, but that cannot come at the cost of your privacy. My bipartisan Health Information Privacy Reform Act with SenatorHassan would keep Americans’ health data secure. Congress must pass these protections now.”
Rep. Pat Harrigan (R-NC) posted “When the government can track where you go, what you believe, and who you support politically, we’ve got a serious Fourth Amendment problem. That’s exactly why I introduced the Automated License Plate Reader Accountability Act, to put real limits on surveillance and protect your privacy.”
Rep. Eric Burlison (R-MO) posted “Americans didn’t “opt in” to the Flock camera in their neighborhood, the spyware now being mandated for new cars, or warrantless surveillance under FISA 702. The right to privacy is unalienable, and conservatives must defend it.”
Surveillance Pricing
Rep. Steven Horsford (D-NV) posted “The price you see should be the price you pay. Period. Hidden fees, subscription traps, and AI-powered pricing tools are changing how Americans pay for everyday necessities. Some companies even use personal data and algorithms to decide what to charge each customer. Nevada families are already struggling with the cost of living. They shouldn’t have to worry about paying more because of where they live, how they shop, or what an algorithm thinks they can afford. Consumers deserve transparency, fair pricing, and stronger protections against deceptive practices.”
Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ) posted “Consumers deserve to know if businesses are using their personal information to manipulate the prices they pay. I’m working to determine how widespread surveillance pricing is and what needs to be”
Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) posted “Americans are already paying too much for everyday essentials. Grocery stores, airlines, and other companies should not be able to use folk’s personal data and AI to squeeze every last penny out of them.”
Election Integrity
House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence Ranking Member Jim Himes (D-CT) released a statement on election integrity, saying, “This week, the House Intelligence Committee received a bipartisan, classified briefing from senior officials in the intelligence community on the threat of foreign interference in our upcoming elections. This is the 5th briefing the Committee has received in advance of the 2026 election. We continue to see nothing to contradict the longstanding assessment by the IC that no adversary has attempted to interfere with the physical infrastructure or vote counting of our elections. While the American public should be reassured that our elections and the results are safe, they should also remain on high alert for the spread of disinformation meant to impact the vote, particularly with the advances in AI and other technology. We are grateful to the professionals within the IC who are working hard to ensure that our elections remain secure. The Committee will stay in close communication with IC leadership and their election leads to ensure that we are fully informed of any changes in the IC’s assessment regarding foreign threats to the election.” (Press release)
Rep. Shontel Brown (D-OH) posted “This isn’t complicated: voters deserve to know that the campaign content they see and hear is real. That’s why I introduced the Securing Elections from AI Deception Act to protect every American from deceptive AI campaign ads.”
China
Following reports of China attempting to acquire NVIDIA chips, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) said, “For months, bipartisan members of Congress have raised concerns about NVIDIA’s advanced AI chips going to China. In June, I called on NVIDIA’s board to investigate the company’s compliance with U.S. export control laws. Today, new reporting indicates that NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang was seen as a ‘target’ of a suspected Chinese spy, and sold her Singapore-based company – Megaspeed – at least $4.8 billion worth of advanced AI chips. NVIDIA’s Jensen Huang and NVIDIA’s board owe Congress answers. And we need to pass bipartisan legislation we have ready to stop advanced American technology from going to China.” (Press release)
Warren posted “NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang was reportedly ‘targeted’ by a suspected Chinese spy whose Singapore-based firm bought billions in AI chips. Huang and NVIDIA’s board owe Congress answers. And we must pass bipartisan legislation to keep our advanced AI technology out of China’s hands.”
Sen. Jim Banks (R-IN) posted “ChairmanG: ‘The single most important thing we can do is have an open source, a sovereign AI ecosystem in America, that dominates our Chinese competitors.’”
Miscellaneous
Rep. Valerie Foushee (D-NC) posted “I am joining this resolution alongside my USProgressives colleagues to make clear that Congress should not bail out AI corporations in the event of a financial crisis. If the AI bubble pops, we cannot afford a repeat of the 2008 financial crisis where the perpetrators were not properly held accountable.”
Rep. Scott Peters (D-CA) posted “Leaders from Democratic and Republican presidential administrations are calling on Congress to pass BAAJA. This bill is the best proposal we’ve ever had to fix our broken permitting system, fight climate change, lower costs, create jobs, and keep data center costs off of our electricity bills. This letter is an encouraging sign. The U.S. faces lengthy delays in building the transmission lines and energy components needed to power the development of semiconductors, critical minerals and artificial intelligence.’ Our adversaries, like China, are building energy infrastructure at a rate that far outpaces us meaning they will win any future innovation races if we do not change our processes…”
On AI oversight in the 120th Congress, Rep. Greg Casar (D-TX) said Congress “should be hauling in the CEOs of the large AI companies and grilling them about the risks that they are imposing to the American people.” He added, “While progressives might be the tip of the spear, we are certainly not going to be alone in calling these Big Tech firms to account.” (Politico)
What I’m Reading This Week
Nvidia Chief Seen as Target of Chinese Spy Plot, Jonathan Swan, Maggie Haberman, Ana Swanson, Paul Mozur, Tripp Mickle, and Julian E. Barnes, The New York Times.
S-1 Registration Statement Under the Securities Act of 1933, Anthropic.
These Are the Candidates Attracting the Most AI Money in the Midterms, Alex J. Rouhandeh, Newsweek.
Binance’s $6.3 Billion Hack Is Just the Start of a Risky New Era, David Yaffe-Bellany and Dustin Volz, The New York Times.
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