Lawmakers from both parties are increasingly cooperating on proposals to regulate artificial intelligence (AI) as Congress heads into a lengthy recess without a clear legislative outcome in sight.
Why it matters
Bipartisanship has become scarce on Capitol Hill, but it remains a necessary early step for action in a Senate where most legislation requires 60 votes. Senators Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) have urged congressional leaders to bring their bill to a vote; the legislation would create a federal program to assess and monitor AI systems.
In a letter first obtained by Axios, Hawley and Blumenthal wrote: “Recent incidents of rogue AI agent swarms hacking into public websites and systems have removed lingering doubts concerning the ability of these agents to wreak havoc on our cyber infrastructure. Congress cannot delay legislating to address frontier AI risks much longer. Industry-led evaluations are not enough.”
Current developments
Several bipartisan efforts have surfaced in the week after some current and former employees at Anthropic and OpenAI publicly raised concerns about existential risks posed by their own products.
In the House, Representatives Russell Fry (R-S.C.) and Suhas Subramanyam (D-Va.) are forming a caucus focused on AI small businesses, called the Innovators Caucus. The group’s goals include beginning work on a federal framework for AI regulation and bringing small businesses into AI policymaking.
Those dire warnings have also revived existing bipartisan proposals aimed at mitigating AI risks. Representative Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) and Representative Nathaniel Moran (R-Texas) are promoting a bill that would require AI companies to include a human-activated “kill switch” in their systems. Lieu has also privately pitched Democratic leadership on creating a bipartisan AI select committee if Democrats retake the House next year.
Representatives Lori Trahan (D-Mass.) and Jay Obernolte (R-Calif.) are continuing to champion their comprehensive AI regulatory bill, the Frontier Act.
Broader context
It has been years since Congress passed multiple major bipartisan laws, and decades since cross-party lawmaking on marquee issues was routine. Cross-party cooperation on Capitol Hill today most often reappears during crises. For example, the 117th Congress produced several bipartisan measures in the wake of the Jan. 6 attack and the COVID-19 pandemic: $1.2 trillion in infrastructure spending, a $280 billion semiconductor and research bill, and the first major gun safety law in decades.
Constraints and political signals
There are significant obstacles to immediate action. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has indicated the chamber will not take up AI legislation before the House departs for a six-week recess that does not end until after Election Day. In a CNN interview, Johnson said Congress should “not smother American innovation” with overly burdensome AI regulations.
Former President Donald Trump took an even more dismissive stance in a Truth Social post on Monday, writing, “AI taking over the World, destroying Humanity, and all other things bad, is a HOAX.”
By contrast, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) has sounded a far sterner alarm about the issue. A potential Democratic majority in the House next year could be the forum where AI regulation finally gains traction on Capitol Hill.
What to watch
Observers will be watching whether the Senate and House proposals can secure sufficient support, and whether bipartisan cooperation on AI can translate into concrete legislation—especially given the upcoming six-week House recess and differing stances from congressional and presidential figures.
