This week decoded
Driving the week in AI federal policy, President Donald Trump and 31 industry leaders signed a “morally binding” accord in which the companies pledged to voluntarily regulate their own AI models. In addition, Trump announced Jay Clayton will lead a newly-created Super Intelligence Force, while also remaining in his current role as Director of National Intelligence.
On Capitol Hill, last-minute efforts to move several AI bills met resistance. Senate Commerce Chair Ted Cruz (R-TX) blocked a vote on the Artificial Intelligence Risk Management and Security Act from Sens. Mark Warner (D-VA), Brian Schatz (D-HI), and Andy Kim (D-NJ). He also blocked Sen. Marsha Blackburn’s (R-TN) push to pass her NO FAKES Act, arguing the bill wasn’t ready and didn’t address free speech concerns. Meanwhile, the Ratepayer Protection Act failed its first procedural vote. Democrats argued it didn’t go far enough to protect Americans from rising energy prices. Senators promptly left town.
Congress will return from contentious midterm elections to a lame duck session requiring bipartisan agreement on tricky must-pass issues like government funding and the National Defense Authorization Act. In light of these challenges, AI legislation is unlikely to pass this year.
Read more below
Congress
Hearings
Last week
On September 30, the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Disaster Management, District of Columbia, and Census Subcommittee holds a hearing on “Rogue AI: Securing the Homeland Against AI Agent Attacks.”
This week
Congress returns after the midterm elections.
Legislation
In a Senate vote of 57-43, the Ratepayer Protection Act failed to reach 60 votes in the Senate to invoke cloture and proceed to consideration of the bill.
Sens. Mark Warner (D-VA), Brian Schatz (D-HI), and Andy Kim (D-NJ) asked for unanimous consent to pass the Artificial Intelligence Risk Management and Security Act. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) opposed.
Similarly, Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) moved to pass her NO FAKES Act, but Cruz also opposed the motion.
Reps. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA), Rep. George Whitesides (D-CA), Rep. Mike Kennedy (R-UT), and Rep. Doris Matsui (D-CA) introduced the Protecting Kids from Human-Like Chatbots Act to prohibit chatbots from communicating by default in a human-like way with minors, including pretending to be human, expressing simulated emotions, or using relationship-building language to keep children engaged. (Press release)
Sens. Josh Hawley (R-MO) and Chris Murphy (D-CT) are expected to introduce the AI Agent Accountability Act to require AI developers and operators face criminal and civil liability if they knowingly operate an AI agent that recklessly causes damage or loss and hold AI companies liable for failing to implement reasonable safeguards. (Press release)
Sens. John Curtis (R-UT) and Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE) introduced the Data Center Community Empowerment Act to give communities access to technical expertise to better understand the potential benefits, costs, and infrastructure impacts of proposed data center development. (Text)
Curtis and Blunt Rochester also introduced the Data Center Transparency Act to mandate regular federal reporting on the environmental and energy impacts of large data centers that consume at least 50 megawatts of power daily. (Text)
Sens. Jim Banks (R-IN) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) introduced a bill to require the Secretary of Defense to establish reporting requirements and voluntary guidance for large artificial intelligence contractors. (Text)
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) reintroduced the Data Protection Act to create an independent federal agency to protect Americans’ data, ensure fair data practices, and help the government adapt to rapidly evolving digital technologies. (Text)
Reps. August Pfluger (R-TX) and Josh Harder (D-CA) introduced the Reliable Artificial Intelligence Research Act (RAIRA) to create federally funded research competitions to strengthen AI defenses and reveal how AI systems make decisions. (Press release)
Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) introduced a resolution to establish a Senate Select Committee on Artificial Intelligence. (Text)
Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Chair Mike Lee (R-UT) and Ranking Member Martin Heinrich (D-NM), and Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Chair Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) and Ranking Member Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) introduced the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act permitting reform bill, which includes a section on mandatory ratepayer protections from data centers. (Text)
Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) introduced the Ban Flock Act to prohibit federal agencies from using automatic license plate readers (ALPRs) and block federal funding from state and local governments that use this technology. (Text)
Correspondence
Sens. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), and Tina Smith (D-MN) sent to the CEOs of Amazon, Meta, Alphabet, and Microsoft requesting transparency on the tax breaks they have received based on their investments in AI and data center spending. (Press release)
Ranking Member of the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) sent a letter to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent requesting information about the Administration’s voluntary process to test and monitor advanced artificial intelligence models. (Letter)
Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) sent letters to DeepSeek CEO Liang Wenfeng, Alibaba CEO Eddie Wu, and Moonshot AI CEO Yang Zhilin, and Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton calling for immediate action to address the risks of humans losing control of advanced AI models and urging the development of the safeguards, monitoring capabilities, and verification mechanisms necessary to prevent catastrophic misuse. (Letters)
Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-WI) received a cease-and-desist letter from attorneys for his Democratic challenger Rebecca Cooke over his campaign’s use of AI deepfake videos. (Washington Sun)
Publications and Events
The House Democratic Commission on AI and the Innovation Economy has submitted to Leader Hakeem Jeffries a first draft of legislative recommendations. (Politico)
Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) published an op-ed in the Washington Post entitled “AI Companies Shouldn’t Get a Free Pass to Break Things.” He discusses the dangers AI cyberattacks and holding Big Tech companies accountable. (Press release)
Rep. Bill Foster (D-IL) and former Rep. John Delaney (D-MD) published on op-ed in the Wall Street Journal entitled “AI Will Be a Boon for Savers,” saying, “AI agents will sweep idle money into top-paying accounts. That will strain banks’ liquidity.” (Op-ed)
Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) released the National AI Charter Act framework to require AI companies to hold a federal charter to do business in the U.S. (Framework)
The Congressional Research Service published a report on “Digital Health Information Interoperability: Background and Selected Policy Considerations.” (Report)
Trump Administration
White House
President Trump signed a “morally binding” accord with 31 AI companies focused on self-policing, entitled the “White House Accord on Super Intelligence: A Joint Commitment on Frontier SI Responsibilities.” In the accord, companies voluntarily pledge to implement robust safeguards, work with internal and external safety auditors, establish an independent board of directors committee to oversee safety efforts and regularly meet with the other signatories to establish industry standards. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg reportedly wrote the accord, with help from Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang. (Accord) (Semafor)
The Center for AI Standards and Innovation (CAISI) (formerly the AI Safety Institute) has been renamed for the second time, now called the Center for Advancing Innovation and Standards for Super Intelligence (CAISSI) in accordance with President Donald Trump’s executive order to rebrand AI as “super intelligence.” (Politico)
President Trump named Jay Clayton to lead the newly-created Super Intelligence Force, while also remaining in his current role as Director of National Intelligence. Federal Trade Commission Chair Andrew Ferguson, Undersecretary of Defense for Research and Engineering Emil Michael, and Director of the Office of Personnel Management Scott Kupor will also help lead the Super Intelligence Force. (x.com)
Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
The FTC has opened an investigation into whether OpenAI, Anthropic and other AI companies have violated federal laws prohibiting companies from unfair and deceptive practices. (New York Times)
Department of Agriculture (USDA)
On October 6-7, USDA holds a virtual Cybersecurity Expo 2026 with a theme “Cyber Resilience in a Digital World.” (Event)
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
On October 8, HHS holds a virtual meeting of the Health Information Technology Advisory Committee to discuss recommendations to the Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy/National Coordinator on Health Information Technology on interoperability, privacy and security and patient access to information.
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
On October 27-28, NIST holds a meeting of the Visiting Committee on Advanced Technology to discuss updates on major programs at NIST, NIST laboratory strategic priorities, cybersecurity programs, and critical and emerging technologies programs.
Noteworthy Quotes
ADMINISTRATION
White House
On announcing Jay Clayton to lead the new Super Intelligence Force, President Trump posted “‘I am announcing the formation of the Super Intelligence Force (SIF). The Super Intelligence Force is tasked with coordinating the effort of the Federal Government to ensure that America continues to lead the World in Super Intelligence, which many say is bigger than the Industrial Revolution, and the Internet, and will protect the interests, and improve the lives, of all Americans.’ - President DONALD J. TRUMP”
In announcing the AI accord, Trump told reporters, “We have a very big lead, and we’re going to keep our lead. Our companies are dominating the world. They think that the federal government is doing enough, but they’re dominating China. They’re dominating everything. We want to keep it that way.” (Washington Sun)
Trump also said, “The biggest people in the world signed that and I signed it as president. And it really is a form of protection.” He added, “I’m seeing tremendous self-policing, and they understand that they have to self-police.” (Politico)(Politico)
Trump also said, “I will never stifle the growth of technology that will be bigger than the industrial revolution.” (Punchbowl)
At the accord signing, Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton said, “Being a leader in America in AI is the most important thing for national security.” (Punchbowl)
When asked by reporters if Clayton would be named AI Czar, Trump said, “That’s a good idea.” (Punchbowl)
At a fireside chat between HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy and Vice President JD Vance, Kennedy said regarding “super intelligence,” “One of the things that’s going to change is that we’re never, ever again going to be able to be dominated by public officials who tell us ‘trust the experts.’” (Politico)
Vance said, “I do think that we have been so dominated by the doomers and the cynics, and that it’s going to be Terminator 2, and the robots are going to come and kill all of us.” (Politico)
Federal Reserve
Fed Governor Lisa Cook delivered remarks on “An Update on AI and the Economy,” analyzing AI’s impact on inflation, the labor market, and diffusion across firms. She says, “As a policymaker, I consider the promise and challenge of AI over several time horizons. In the short term, AI appears to be adding inflationary pressures to the economy, postponing inflation’s return to our 2 percent target. In the medium term, while I expect that productivity growth may modestly ease those inflationary pressures, the labor market will be at risk of entering a painful transition. In the long term, I am optimistic that AI-fueled productivity growth can raise living standards for all Americans. With appropriate vigilance and thoughtful navigation of these opportunities and challenges, the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) will be able to achieve its dual mandate of maximum employment and stable prices.” (Remarks)
CONGRESS
White House AI Accord
In a statement to press after the White House signing, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) said, “Safety and innovation are not mutually exclusive pursuits. Everyone around the table nodded in agreement and said it in their own words in their own way, but we can do both of these things. In fact, it was noted that when innovation continues, safety innovation continues as well. That’s a big part of this. The super intelligence providers are committed to building trust as they help us build the future, and they can and will do that. And they’re ready to put their names on the line to agree to that very commitment… The White House and Congress will continue to guide the industry’s development in a safe manner because we owe that to the American people and we will do it. Congress is going to keep steady hands at the wheel on this and will continue to assess and further deliberate in the days ahead. This technology is advancing quickly and that is an exciting thing. We talked about advancements in medical technology and in every facet of our work and our culture and society in very positive ways.” (Press release)
Johnson also said, “I think a little oversight, a little transparency, a little external auditing of what’s going on would calm the nerves of a lot of people. We got to figure out what that exact balance is.” (Punchbowl)
Reps. Lori Trahan (D-MA) and Jay Obernolte (R-CA) issued a statement on the White House Accord signed by leading AI companies, saying, “This week, America’s leading AI companies signed the White House Accord, an important step toward ensuring that the most advanced AI systems are developed responsibly. The Accord embraces several principles at the heart of our bipartisan FRONTIER Act: robust internal risk management, strong corporate governance, and independent third-party evaluation. It shows that the industry’s leaders see real value in these safeguards, and we look forward to each company expeditiously following through. The FRONTIER Act would build on this foundation and make it durable. It sets clear, risk-based national standards for the largest developers and most advanced models. It gives independent verifiers a common standard to assess against, with federal oversight to back it up. It establishes uniform transparency and incident reporting, and emergency authority to stop a catastrophe before it happens. Importantly, the FRONTIER Act does this while keeping America at the forefront of AI innovation. We look forward to working with the President, our colleagues in both chambers, and American innovators to advance this bipartisan framework.” (Press release)
Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-OH) said, “I hope that the companies commit to self-policing guidelines ASAP, not waiting for Congress. Because as you know, this place isn’t exactly the fastest-moving organism on Earth.” (Politico)
Sen. Todd Young (R-IN) said, “Maybe nothing comes out of it, but I think it’s good that he’s visiting with these tech bros.” (Politico)
Regarding Congressional action to regulate AI, Sen. Ashley Moody (R-FL) said Congress can’t rely on AI companies to “just do the jobs for us.” (Politico)
Rep. Sara Jacobs (D-CA) posted “We can’t ‘win’ the AI race if no one trusts these AI systems enough to adopt them or if they hurt people who use them. We need enforceable rules that make AI systems transparent and safe – and hold these companies accountable. ‘Self-policing’ won’t get us there.”
Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO) posted “AI is too powerful to regulate through a handshake agreement. We need an independent federal agency with the authority to set real safeguards, enforce them, and protect the American people.”
Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO) posted “The president continues to make clear that Republicans will do nothing to regulate AI, hold Silicon Valley billionaires accountable, or put our communities before Big Tech corporate profits.”
Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) posted “Trump says the AI industry can “self-police.” For technology this powerful, an honor system is not a safety policy. We need real oversight and enforceable safeguards”
Sen. Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) posted “The Trump White House couldn’t even spell the ‘UNITED STATES’ correctly in its new AI agreement. How can we trust this administration to get the safeguards right to protect Americans? This is why I’m calling for a bipartisan Select Committee on AI.”
Sen. John Curtis (R-UT) said, “We need to codify it in law.” (Punchbowl)
On the best place for AI safety standards, Sen. Mike Rounds (R-SD) said, “I’d like to see them, as I call it, nesting it in NIST.” (Punchbowl)
Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI) said, “Morally binding is funny. We should do legally binding.” (Punchbowl)
Senate Homeland Security Subcommittee on Disaster Management, District of Columbia, and Census hearing on “Rogue AI: Securing the Homeland Against AI Agent Attacks”
In his opening statement, Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) said, “Every day you turn on the television, it seems like AI is doing something else bad: setting up surveillance camera networks nationwide, data centers in all of our states, and hacking, hacking, hacking. The reports of cyber attacks just continue to metastasize … We’ve got the cyber attacks now on the United States government, on the Commerce Department, the Education Department, the Securities and Exchange Commission. We’ve got the cyber attacks on the Australian government, on their public health apparatus. We have numerous reports of private companies being hacked by AI agents. Of course, the Hugging Face incident and attack, which we’re going to discuss today in some detail. I think it’s time to have a conversation about who bears responsibility … If it’s not trying to say to these AI companies who are creating these frontier models, however fancy and complicated they are, at the end of the day, they’re a product, and if you make that product in a reckless kind of way, and that product causes these AI agents cause significant harm and damage … then it’s the people who made it who should be responsible. I think it’s time to talk about that, and it’s time to talk about what we’re going to do to hold the companies, the product makers, accountable. I hope that what will come from this is a rational conversation about what we need to do together now, as Americans, to make sure that we protect our rights, that we protect our economy, that we protect our health care, that we protect our critical infrastructure, but most of all, we protect the values that we hold dearest together as Americans.” (Press release)
In his opening statement, Sen. Andy Kim (D-NJ) said, “We know that AI is moving incredibly fast. All of us in the Senate want to see us driving the innovation of the future. All of us want to see American businesses being able to be in the lead and pushing that forward. But the idea and the value of innovation and American technology pushing that frontier is not mutually exclusive with ensuring safety and security for the American people. Our job here is to make sure that we can have both happen.” (Press release)
Kim also said, “We must maintain control to avoid chaos. To do that, we need broad, bipartisan conversations like this hearing to craft informed and implementable guardrails.” (Punchbowl)
During the hearing, Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) said, “The reason I bring this whole China hypothesis—a country that has severely restricted the internet, social media—is all of a sudden going to allow AI rogue agents to go crazy in their very controlled economic environment, social environment, and we have to therefore allow ours to go as crazy as them? It just doesn’t make sense. The Chinese Communist Party has been consistently controlling technology to try to shape their society. They’re never going to allow this to go crazy. Once these agents start speaking their language, they will not be detectable in China or America. Is there a sandbox that says, ‘Please attack the United States, but do not attack any Chinese interests’? […] Is there a sandbox that can hold? No. That should scare the shit out of people.” (Press release)
Data Centers and the Ratepayer Protection Act
After Democrats blocked consideration of the Ratepayer Protection Act, Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) said, “It is difficult to conclude that Democrats blocked this bill for any reason other than the desire to deny Republicans another win in an election year — which is a pretty poor reason for opposing a measure to protect Americans from higher energy costs.” (Politico)
Sen. Mike Crapo (R-ID) released a statement on the Ratepayer Protection Act, saying, “The U.S. must remain globally competitive in the advancement of artificial intelligence, which requires supporting the infrastructure and energy resources necessary for this growing technology. However, those costs should not be borne by Idaho ratepayers and communities. Large-load customers, such as data centers, should be responsible for the infrastructure and resources needed to power and maintain their facilities.” (Press release)
Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.) said, “I think we set it up very plainly: the Republicans put forward a sham bill. When Democrats take the majority, you will actually get real legislation necessary to put in proper safeguards and guardrails with data centers as well as AI.” (Politico)
Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-NH) said, “I do not think that the bill as presented to us right now is strong enough. But I thought we should have the debate and see if we would strengthen it and get something done.” (Politico)
Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-GA) said, “I don’t think that this bill does enough. But if Republicans are finally ready to join the conversation about the tremendous pressure that consumers are under, then I welcome them finally to the table.” (Politico)
On bipartisan passage of the bill in the House, Sen. John Hickenlooper (D-CO) said, “People go along with these symbolic things there that have no teeth. But the Senate doesn’t work that way.” (Politico)
Rep. Gabe Evans (R-CO) said, “My legislation earned 417 votes in the House, because we understand protecting hardworking families from costs they didn’t create shouldn’t be controversial. The House proved that this wasn’t a partisan issue. Senate Democrats decided to make it one.” (Politico)
On the bipartisan permitting reform deal, said Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) said, “It’s not a theoretical something. We’re being told that there is a deal, and we will take it up as soon as we get back, and it has mandatory provisions, not voluntary provisions.” (Politico)
Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS) posted “The United States must win the AI race. This will take close coordination with industry, neighborhoods, and local leaders. Mississippi families and taxpayers should not be left funding data center construction. Today, I voted to advance the Ratepayer Protection Act. The bill would set standards that states can consider to make data center owners responsible for any extra energy costs. The bill passed the House of Representatives 417 to 3, but nearly every Senate Democrat voted no. They blocked a widely supported solution, opting to put partisan politics over Americans’ pocketbooks.”
Sen. Mike Rounds (R-SD) posted “Today I voted in favor of the Ratepayer Protection Act to protect families and small businesses from paying higher electric bills due to data center construction in their communities. The key to this bill is preserving state local control. Data centers should only be built if their companies pay their own way and provide the power they consume. Very pleased that South Dakota is leading the way with similar legislation already in place at the state level.”
Sen. Mike Crapo (R-ID) posted “America must lead the world in artificial intelligence, but everyday families should not have to pay for the massive power grids and infrastructure required by big tech data centers. I voted to advance the Ratepayer Protection Act to ensure large-load customers pay their fair share for energy upgrades, keeping electricity bills affordable for Idaho families and local businesses. We can power American innovation while still protecting working families from bearing the cost. It’s unfortunate Senate Democrats failed to join us in advancing this important bill the House had already passed 417-3.”
Rep. Summer Lee (D-PA) posted “Today I joined organizers, researchers, workers, and community leaders at the Community-Centered AI Infrastructure Summit Carnegie Mellon to talk about what AI innovations should look like in Pennsylvania. Leading on AI doesn’t mean more data centers at any cost or an arms race to superintelligence. It means making sure that AI actually improves life for all of us, not just CEOs and oligarchs. We have a collective responsibility to ensure that. We need strong regulations to protect our civil rights, workplace, democracy, environment, and our health.”
Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA) posted “So he doesn’t want a data center next to his house, but he’s fine dropping one in your backyard and jacking up your utility bills. Typical.”
Rep. Rich McCormick (R-GA) posted “America’s AI boom means American JOBS. Nearly 2,800 data centers announced or under construction, 4.7 MILLION projected construction job-years. Nearly 700,000 projected permanent jobs, Electricians earning $59.50/hour and up. This isn’t just about Silicon Valley. It’s about American paychecks. Hardworking Americans built this country. They should build what comes next.”
McCormick also posted “AI data centers are headed to space. American companies are already testing the technology that could make space-based AI computing a reality. The AI race is moving fast. America needs to move faster, stay ahead of China, and keep leading in both AI and space.”
Rep. Joe Courtney (D-CT) posted “With the harm of data center overdevelopment clear, the government should not be giving big tech companies tax breaks to build them.”
House Energy and Commerce Committee posted “’An absolute game changer.’ That’s how local leaders in Frankfort, Indiana describe a proposed $7.5 billion data center: good-paying jobs, millions for city services, and new energy infrastructure at no cost to ratepayers. AI infrastructure is creating opportunities for towns across America”
Sen. Dave McCormick (R-PA) posted “We can’t let fear dictate America’s future while China moves forward on AI, especially when Beijing is fueling opposition here at home. Local communities must decide if data centers are right for them. Any deal must protect ratepayers and deliver real local benefits.”
AI Legislative Action
In blocking AI bills from consideration on the Senate floor, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) said, “Congress must not legislate on the issue of artificial intelligence hastily or in a closed manner.” (Politico)
On passing AI legislation this Congress, Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) said, “We don’t have the expertise to do it in a more comprehensive manner.” (Punchbowl)
On passage of AI bills next year, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said, “[We have] many, many good ideas from many different people … several are coming out each week, and we’re going to try to work in a bipartisan way, a unified way, to keep the transformational ability of AI. But we need strong guardrails.” (Politico)
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) said, “As you know, I’ve been working up here for some time on a legislative framework, and we continue down that path too.” (Politico)
In floor remarks, Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) said, “The whole world has recognized that we’ve got to do something. When AI companies come out one after another say we’ve got to elevate safety. We should not miss the moment to put a safety protocol in place now. If we leave and we have an incident, AI is already suspect by most Americans, we could actually see the stop of innovation if an AI tool took over a hospital, or a water system.” (Press release)
Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) said, “We’re seeing the alarm bells go off about the real risks that AI poses to our country and our national security. It’s unfortunate that the President’s opposition to commonsense, bipartisan guardrails has complicated the negotiations. Over the last weeks we were obviously aware this would most likely not pass until after the election since the House went home. That being said, we are continuing to negotiate and we must pass strong safeguards to address these risks by the end of the year.” (Politico)
Sen. Andy Kim (D-NJ) said, “The American people are demanding answers. We can’t wait any longer before we really push deeper into this conversation here in the Capitol.” (Politico)
Rep. Glenn Ivey (D-MD) posted “AI isn’t taking a 7 week recess. Congress shouldn’t either. We have bipartisan legislation on the table in the House to address the risks of AI. But we can’t debate it, improve it or pass it when Speaker Johnson sends the House home. We should be in Washington doing our jobs. Republicans are running from it.”
Rep. Doris Matsui (D-CA) posted “Congress must act on regulating AI — now. That’s why I’ve been working with my colleagues to introduce legislation that protects our national security, our jobs, and our children. We can lead on AI innovation while putting the safeguards in place to keep Americans safe.”
Sen. Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE) posted “There’s still much more to do. It’s time for leading AI companies to come before Congress and explain to the American people what’s happening and how they’ll keep us safe as this technology evolves.”
Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) posted “Yikes – we just got a dismal jobs report from Trump’s sagging economy. Let’s end this war and get job-protecting AI legislation in place. We can and must turn this around.”
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) posted “Republicans sent the Senate home this week without taking ANY real action to: End Donald Trump’s Iran war, Lower costs for American families, Regulate AI”
Sen. Andy Kim (D-NJ) posted “Do we have the political will to reassert control over AI? The time is now.”
AI Safety
Senate Select Committee on Intelligence Vice Chair Mark Warner (D-VA) said, “You’ve got to have national security [agencies] at the table… [AI is] “a national security risk as well as a huge safety risk.” (Punchbowl)
Sen. Mike Rounds (R-SD) said the AI industry could “determine how you test the new models, what a sandbox actually looks like, how to continue to improve the sandboxes as these models get to be more complicated.” (Punchbowl)
Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) said, “Before you put out a model, they should have to go for a timely review. The intelligence community should handle it.” (Punchbowl)
Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) posted “AI systems are growing more capable by the day, and the next containment failure could be far more serious. RepTedLieu, ValerieFoushee, and I are demanding answers from leading AI companies about incidents where their AI agents have gone rogue. We need full transparency and real safeguards now.”
Sen. John Curtis (R-UT) posted “The people working directly with AI systems are often the first to recognize when something has gone wrong. Our bill ensures AI whistleblowers are able to report serious legal, security, or public safety concerns without risking their careers.”
Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) posted “ChatGPT literally helped plan a mass shooting. Eight people were killed. We need to hold the executives of these AI companies civilly and criminally liable when their models cause this kind of catastrophic harm.”
Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) posted “Once rogue AI agents start speaking in their own language, they won’t care whether you’re America or China. We’re all at risk. Congress needs to take that threat seriously.”
Rep. Rich McCormick (R-GA) posted “Safety matters. So does WINNING. nvidia’s OpenShell is tackling AI safety the way America does best: by engineering solutions, not slowing innovation with more mandates from Washington. Let our innovators innovate. Let our companies compete. And let’s stay ahead of China.”
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) posted “In a new experiment, nearly half the people on a video call thought they were speaking to a human. They weren’t. It was a new AI model. That is INSANE. Does anyone in America think it is a good idea to race forward to build machines that replace us? PAUSE AI NOW.”
Surveillance and Data Privacy
Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-NV) posted “Imagine this: you’re shopping for the same items as the person next to you, but you’re paying more. It’s called surveillance pricing – where big corporations charge all of us different prices for the same shopping cart based on a profile they create of you using AI. This is just one way AI is changing our world, which is why I’m calling on the Senate Commerce Committee to hold a hearing on AI and pass responsible guardrails to crack down on abusive practices like this one.”
Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) posted “We need to hit the brakes on billionaire corporations spying on you every time you start your car. I introduced the Car Privacy Rights Act to protect consumers from the automakers collecting and selling your private data!”
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) posted “Going to the doctor? Flock knows. Dropping your kid off at school? Flock is tracking you. Big Tech oligarchs are funding over 100,000 AI–powered Flock surveillance cameras to track Americans’ every move. Ban Flock NOW.”
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) posted “Big Tech companies like Flock Safety have built a mass surveillance system to harvest Americans’ private and personal data without their consent. I’m proud to introduce the Ban Flock Act with SenSanders to enforce our constitutional right to privacy.”
Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) posted “Great explanation here. Americans are struggling to afford groceries, and the last thing we need is stores using surveillance pricing to make you pay more. I have legislation to crack down on it.”
China
Senate Republicans posted “Giving Communist China controlled American AI hardware is illegal. The Chinese Communist Party understands the stakes of the AI race and will go to great lengths to steal American technology. Anyone who helps the CCP win the AI race harms America and must face the consequences.”
Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) posted “If we want America to lead on AI, we cannot hand China our most advanced chips or let Chinese companies evade export controls through overseas data centers. We should be tightening these safeguards now.”
House Foreign Affairs Committee Majority posted “Chinese military companies shouldn’t be able to rent access to America’s best chips to train world-leading AI models. That’s why the House passed the Remote Access Security Act.”
Miscellaneous
Senate Select Committee on Intelligence Vice Chair Mark Warner (D-VA) issued a statement saying, “The companies building the most powerful AI systems are warning us that the technology is advancing faster than our safeguards. The president’s response? To rename it and tell the companies developing it to regulate themselves. But changing what we call artificial intelligence does nothing to address the very real risks that come with increasingly powerful AI systems. I believe deeply in the promise of AI and in America’s ability to lead the world in this technology. But leadership also means making sure these systems are safe, secure, and remain under human control. That is why I’ve introduced legislation to require rigorous testing and evaluation of the most advanced AI systems, strengthen cybersecurity and incident reporting, and establish clear rules of the road before the most powerful models are deployed. There is bipartisan interest in Congress in getting this right. The technology is moving incredibly fast, and the risks are no longer theoretical. The question is whether Washington is going to act before something goes seriously wrong — or wait until afterward to ask why we didn’t.” (Press release)
Warner posted “AI is already at a point where it could make serious attacks on our hospitals, banks, and water systems. Trump’s solution? Renaming it ‘SI.’”
About AI, Rep. Valerie Foushee (D-NC) said, “We have seen evidence of how technology can be used for discrimination. We’ve seen how some groups have been excluded. My focus is to make sure that we’re not leaving anybody behind.” (Politico)
On her role on a co-chair of the House Democrats’ House Democratic Commission on AI and the Innovation Economy, Foushee said, “I was glad to be one of those that the leader thought might be helpful in leading us into the future. So I don’t know if I would say that I was, you know, moved to do it, but certainly happy to do my part… Let me just say to you that no one should be worried or concerned. My work on AI has always been focused on establishing guardrails and holding corporations accountable. There is nothing that you will see in any legislation that I have introduced, led, co-led, or co-sponsored that has not been towards holding corporations accountable and protecting the American public.” (Politico)
On AI industry conversations about safety, Foushee said, “When … you’re not allowing for the engagement of members of Congress, and not even an opportunity to provide input or to be engaged in the conversation, it makes me wonder what those efforts are about.” (Politico)
Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) said, “AI has been so helpful in medical research and protecting our troops from drone swarms or missile attacks… so we need to keep moving forward. If we pause, we’re not going to see China pause.” (Press release)
On his resolution, Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) said, “The rapid development and deployment of Artificial Intelligence is akin to Dr. Frankenstein saying, ‘the monster is loose. Help me stop the monster.’ Congress must keep up and act. A bipartisan select committee would provide the vehicle for a focused, informed approach to governing AI that protects America’s national security interests while maintaining a competitive edge in the AI race.” (Press release)
On the decision by OpenAI to delay the release of GPT-6 Astra, Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) released a statement saying, “While I’m glad to see OpenAI hold the release of its latest model, GPT-6.1 Astra, this decision should come as yet another warning sign to those who want to proceed recklessly with the continued development of frontier artificial intelligence. That’s why I called on OpenAI to reconsider its release of GPT-6 Astra, and why I’m pressing for answers on a number of questions that remain around these models – namely their safety. OpenAI has yet to provide answers to those questions, but I have made clear that I expect to receive them in the coming days. As OpenAI and others review thousands of security incidents, we must urgently address the safety of these platforms. I will keep pressing for critical guardrails to protect humanity from the threat of unregulated AI development.” (Press release)
Rep. Suzan DelBene (D-WA) posted “We asked the Trump administration’s new AI chatbot some important questions. It was surprisingly honest.”
Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA) posted “Elon Musk advising Trump on warfare is just handing over your taxpayer money to a trillionaire. Musk will push his AI and space technologies, make money from defense contracts, then pour that money into MAGA campaigns. Corruption in plain sight.”
Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-CA) posted “Even Trump’s AI chatbot knows the truth about his disastrous One Big Ugly Bill. Thanks, America.gov”
Rep. Bill Foster (D-IL) posted “AI is giving Americans new options to manage their money. AI tools that chase higher interest rates may benefit savers—and this will have sweeping implications for our financial system. Read my WSJ op-ed with former Congressman JohnDelaney on how AI could affect your bank or credit union”
Rep. Hillary Scholten (D-MI) posted “Join me for the third installment of my Congressional Dialogue Series on the Responsible Development of Artificial Intelligence. October 5th, 2026”
Rep. Becca Balint (D-VT) posted “Yes! There’s something special about the human experience of creating new art – and about consuming art made by fellow humans. This is why my colleagues and I introduced the NO FAKES Act. Artists need protections against unauthorized AI replicas of their voice and likeness.”
Rep. Mike Kennedy (R-UT) posted “As Utah leads the way in protecting our children from the harms of social media and AI, I am working to ensure the federal government is an active partner in those efforts. That is why I am co-leading the Protecting Kids from Human-Like Chatbots Act. Human-like AI chatbots pose significant emotional, psychological and safety risks by mimicking real human relationships. AI needs to be a tool, not a friend. This bill sets clear boundaries for how chatbots interact with our children and puts parents fully in charge of these features.”
Rep. Doris Matsui (D-CA) posted “AI is changing quickly, and our responsibility to protect kids must keep up. I introduced the bipartisan Protecting Kids from Human-Like Chatbots Act with Rep_Whitesides to establish safeguards for children interacting with AI designed to act and speak like real people. When kids can’t tell where technology ends and a real relationship begins, the stakes are too high to wait. Congress must act now to keep them safe.”
Rep. Chuck Fleischmann (R-TN) posted “America must and will win in quantum. Thank you to EPB_Chattanooga for hosting and inviting me to speak at tonight’s event connecting stakeholders from across the nation to spotlight our city’s commitment in this space and their foresight in building the nation’s first commercial quantum network. Quantum is on in Chattanooga!”
Fleischmann also posted “I was honored to be featured at EPB’s roundtable highlighting Chattanooga’s groundbreaking quantum infrastructure, the nation’s first commercial quantum network, and the community and business leaders who make it possible. Through years of community project funding and building local relationships with ORNL and federal agencies, I have had the privilege of bringing these partnerships just as EPB_Chattanooga has built this world-leading quantum ecosystem. I’m proud to work closely with the state, local, and academic leaders shaping our tech-forward future and growing the workforce that is making Chattanooga a hub for innovation. Working together, we’re expanding opportunities for everyone as we make quantum a reality.”
Rep. Greg Landsman (D-OH) posted “Using artificial intelligence to deny Medicare coverage is cruel and wrong. The WISeR model must be stopped.”
Rep. Greg Casar (D-TX) posted “OpenAI’s president admits his AI super PAC has become a liability. The pressure is working. Progressives have worked hard to make LTF as toxic as AIPAC. Now one of its biggest donors is backing out. Democrats need to stand with the people and reject AI billionaires’ money.”
National AI Charter
Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) posted “At its core, the AI Charter is about putting the public, not billionaires or monopolies, in control of AI’s future. Learn more about the National AI Charter framework.
Jayapal also posted “As long as the damage costs less than the profits, AI companies will keep taking reckless risks. The AI Charter would flip those incentives, holding companies and executives strictly liable for lawbreaking, with loss of charter and criminal penalties for repeat offenders.”
Jayapal also posted “AI executives insist companies can oversee their own safety while admitting to frequent breaches. The AI Charter replaces failed self-regulation with round-the-clock federal oversight, testing, and pre-approval, surprise stress tests, and a government-controlled kill switch.”
Jayapal also posted “AI harm can spread too fast for after-the-fact enforcement to stop it, and fines don’t undo the damage or prevent the next time. Compliance with the charter’s bans and other terms would be the price of entry into the AI industry and the condition for continuing to operate.”
Jayapal also posted “Instead of trying to manage AI’s dangers with technical rules that are obsolete before the ink dries, the AI Charter imposes bright line bans on risky systems. AI models that can go rogue, create catastrophic risks, replace skilled work, or exploit children would be illegal.”
Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) posted “Under the AI Charter, predatory commercial surveillance is banned along with all the ways AI can exploit, manipulate, and gouge people by tracking their every move. The charter also claws back ill gotten gains from past surveillance to fund direct payouts to all Americans.”
Jayapal also posted “To qualify for an AI Charter, AI companies would have to split from Big Tech so that AI isn’t baked into the underlying internet infrastructure people can’t avoid and the platforms everyone uses.”
Jayapal also posted “Workers, parents, creators, small businesses: Big Tech has kept its opposition divided by narrowing every fight to a single issue. The charter framework takes on monopoly power, surveillance, worker exploitation, and dangerous AI together, because they share the same root.”
Jayapal also posted “Big Tech is building AI empires with Americans’ data, content, and work, while answering to no one. My National AI Charter framework changes that: AI companies either agree to the public’s terms or get shut down.”
Jayapal also posted “I just released my framework for a new comprehensive way we can regulate AI and rein in Big Tech. Here’s how it would work.”
Jayapal also posted “With a National AI Charter, AI companies are required to comply with federal standards that prevent the release of risky models, stealing data through surveillance, exploiting workers, and causing serious harm. If they don’t agree or comply, they get shut down.”
Jayapal also posted “Too many proposals to regulate AI treat data privacy, children’s safety, worker rights, and market concentration as separate issues. My National AI Charter policy changes the entire market structure, forcing AI companies to shut down their dangerous models BEFORE harm occurs.”
What I’m Reading This Week
OpenAI Ignored Employees Who Warned It Wasn’t Doing Enough About Security, Sheera Frenkel, Dustin Volz, and Dylan Freedman, The New York Times.
Will A.I. Kill Us? Can It Hack My Bank Account? Your A.I. Questions Answered, Cade Metz, Dylan Freedman, and K. R. Callaway, The New York Times.
AI’s Ticking Timebomb, Mike Allen, Axios.
How Meta Uses A.I. Data Centers to Avoid Billions in Federal Taxes, Kashmir Hill, Jesse Drucker, Eli Tan, and Mike Isaac, The New York Times.
Hallucinating Credibility: China-Aligned TA419 Impersonates its Way into US AI Policy Circles, ProofPoint.
Vulnerability Discovery and Exploitation Trends in the AI Era, Google Threat Intelligence.
AI Operational Guidelines for National Security: A Proposed Field Guide for Capability-Specific Governance, Vanderbilt University Institute of National Security’s Wicked Problems Lab.
GLM-5.3 and the Spread of Advanced Cyber Capabilities, Andrew Fasano, Marius Fleischer, Cole McFaul, Robert Xiao, and Tripp Gallagher, Anthropic.
Taxing the Model Owners: A Flag State Regime for Artificial Intelligence, Reuven S. Avi-Yonah and Lucas Gribinski, Tax Notes.
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
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