From Newsweek · · 3m
House breaks early as AI bills pile up unsigned
Speaker Johnson sends lawmakers home before voting on AI regulation, drawing fire from Democrats and some Republicans.
In brief
Speaker Johnson sends lawmakers home before voting on AI regulation, drawing fire from Democrats and some Republicans. Over 65 AI bills are pending in Congress with minimal progress, while public concern about the technology grows and lawmakers take a seven-week break. Originally reported by Newsweek.
Johnson sends House home early
House Speaker Mike Johnson announced lawmakers will wrap up work Wednesday night and head into a seven-week recess, skipping scheduled votes on AI regulation and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth impeachment articles.
Democrats demand AI votes before break
Over 100 House Democrats signed a letter demanding Johnson cancel the recess so lawmakers could vote on AI regulation. California Representative Sam Liccardo compared the move to fiddling while Rome burns.
“Speaker Mike Johnson is shutting down Congress for seven weeks. The American people need action, not vacation.”
Johnson defends early recess decision
Johnson argued the House has been productive, passing over 900 bills this Congress. He said the chamber should handle AI technology in a wise, balanced manner rather than with knee-jerk reactions.
“This is not the time for foolish, knee-jerk reactions.”
Republican also criticizes the break
South Carolina Representative Ralph Norman said the House has canceled 63 voting days this Congress and questioned why lawmakers should be paid by taxpayers while campaigning instead of working.
Over 65 AI bills stuck in limbo
The Brennan Center for Justice tracks more than 65 AI-related bills introduced in Congress this session, addressing concerns from government use to deepfakes. Only a couple have become law so far.
Senate stalls on AI kill switch bill
Louisiana Senator John Kennedy proposed requiring AI developers to have a kill switch for dangerous software, but the idea stalled after Senator Rand Paul objected to creating another committee to study it.
Americans anxious about AI impact
A recent Associated Press poll found 47 percent of Americans are more concerned than excited about AI's impact on information, while 53 percent worry about environmental effects. A Politico poll showed 63 percent fear AI could destroy humanity.
Voters see Republicans as tougher on AI
A New York Times poll found voters believe Republicans are more likely to take AI concerns seriously than Democrats, showing the issue is becoming politically divided as public anxiety grows.
Trump team to discuss AI safety later
Johnson said there will be a deliberate discussion about AI company safety measures and government's role when Trump administration leaders meet with tech companies this week or early next week.
House votes on dinosaur before break
Before recessing, lawmakers unanimously approved a bill declaring the Tyrannosaurus Rex as the nation's official fossil dinosaur and the American mastodon as the national fossil mammal.
The short version
Over 65 AI bills are pending in Congress with minimal progress, while public concern about the technology grows and lawmakers take a seven-week break.
