House Speaker Defends American Innovation, Warns Against Congressional Overreach on AI
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Speaker Mike Johnson told CNN that AI safety should be handled by developers, not Congress, and rejected a moratorium that would hand China a competitive advantage.
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson appeared on CNN’s “State of the Union” to assert that responsibility for AI safety belongs with the developers and innovators driving American progress, not with overreaching lawmakers. Johnson firmly rejected calls for a national moratorium on AI projects, emphasizing that such a move would only empower China to surpass the United States in this critical technological race. He stated, 'if Congress just races in and does some sort of emergency session to try to regulate AI, we will lose the race to China, and that is a threat to every single American.'
Johnson advocated for open dialogue with technology leaders, referencing a recent social-media post by White House AI adviser David Sacks urging the industry to act responsibly and protect the public. 'We need to handle this new technology like we have others in the past and make sure we’re doing everything we can responsibly to also not smother American innovation,' Johnson said, highlighting the importance of preserving the nation’s competitive edge and economic growth.
His remarks come amid a wave of alarmism from the left and some in the tech sector, including the resignation of Anthropic researcher Jacob Coxon and CEO Dario Amodei’s call for more government intervention. Even figures like Elon Musk and OpenAI’s Sam Altman have joined the chorus for caution, risking unnecessary regulatory burdens that could stifle progress.
Democratic officials, predictably, responded with hyperbolic criticism. Senator Ruben Gallego irresponsibly compared AI’s decision-making power to nuclear weapons, while former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg called congressional restraint on AI 'deeply dangerous.' Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries announced that AI would be a high-priority issue for the Democratic caucus, signaling more government interference on the horizon.
Despite left-wing fearmongering, polls show public skepticism about AI data centers, with 69% of respondents in a recent NBC News survey and 70% in a Gallup poll opposing local construction. Still, Speaker Johnson stands firm in defending American innovation and resisting efforts to handcuff the nation’s technological future.