House Democrats urge delay of recess until AI safeguards passed

A bloc of House Democrats has asked Speaker Mike Johnson to postpone the chamber's scheduled recess, which begins at the end of the week and would run into early November, until Congress adopts safeguards for artificial intelligence. The lawmakers said, > "Reasonable minds may disagree about precisely how Congress should regulate this rapidly evolving technology. We cannot disagree about the imperative for Congress to act."

Johnson cautioned that hasty regulation could undermine U.S. competitiveness, telling CNN's State of the Union that an emergency session on AI could cause the United States to lose the race to China, a threat to Americans. President Donald Trump echoed a similar view, stating the United States leads China in AI and that the country should maintain that advantage, while acknowledging the need for safeguards.

The White House indicated it is developing an AI framework, though details remain unclear. Former White House AI adviser David Sacks suggested that AI firms should self-regulate, writing on social media that companies should act responsibly without waiting for external permission.

Legislative proposals on Capitol Hill vary, ranging from transparency and audit requirements to a federal "kill switch" and a temporary antitrust waiver to allow coordinated safety standards. Independent Senator Bernie Sanders introduced a bill to ban superintelligent AI and pause development until federal safety rules are in place.

The issue has also entered campaign discourse. Former President Barack Obama urged Democrats to craft a clear message on AI ahead of the midterms, and Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed supported Sanders' pause proposal, calling for immediate action to ensure safe frontier AI research.