Conditions Already Critical Due to AI, Yet US Congress Members Remain Indifferent
The United States House of Representatives ended its legislative session early on Wednesday (16/9) without taking any action regarding Artificial Intelligence (AI) regulations, which are increasingly deemed urgent. US House members are now preparing to return to their respective constituencies to campaign for the upcoming midterm elections in November.
This move follows pressure from several AI company executives, including those from Anthropic, OpenAI, and xAI, who have urged the US government to immediately establish rules to control the development of the technology. This push has intensified after an Anthropic researcher resigned, warning that AI “could kill us all by the end of this decade.”
However, this sense of urgency has failed to prompt the US Congress to take concrete steps. With the midterm elections less than seven weeks away, the primary focus for parliamentarians is the election results, which will determine the balance of power and control in Washington until the end of President Donald Trump’s term.
US House Speaker Mike Johnson stated that members of parliament need to return to their districts immediately to campaign. “It is time for our members to go home to their respective regions and present their arguments to the American people,” Johnson said, as reported by CNBC International on Tuesday (22/9/2026).
Johnson also shifted part of the responsibility to the Senate, which is reported to be in session for approximately two more weeks. It is important to note that a bill must be approved by both the House and the Senate before it can be signed by the president to become law.
Previously, Johnson warned against Congress acting too hastily in regulating the AI industry. In his view, overly rapid regulation could slow the pace of US technological innovation and instead provide a competitive advantage to China in the AI race.
Nevertheless, several House members—including some from the Republican Party—hold differing views. US Democratic Representative Sam Liccardo urged the House to continue its session to discuss AI regulation. He even led 107 Democratic members in sending a letter to Johnson, requesting that Congress not simply abandon Washington.
“Congress needs to act immediately, because our children will not forgive us for this inertia,” Liccardo asserted.
He pushed for several strategic steps to be taken immediately, including the passage of the Frontier Act, sponsored by Representatives Jay Obernolte (Republican) and Lori Trahan (Democrat). The proposed regulation would mandate third-party audits of AI developer laboratories, increase public transparency, and grant the Department of Commerce the authority to limit or suspend AI models that pose potential risks of major disasters in the near future.
Liccardo also proposed the implementation of a “kill switch” mechanism to stop AI models that begin to operate out of control, as well as providing limited antitrust exemptions so that AI companies can cooperate on safety aspects.
On the other hand, Obernolte, alongside Representative Brian Fitzpatrick and several Democratic politicians, also urged that AI safety rules be discussed seriously. “The current urgency requires Congress to take real action before the end of the year,” concluded Oberton, adding that he will continue to push for the discussion of the Frontier Act and the Great American Artificial Intelligence Act once the House reconvenes.