LAWMAKERS URGE SPEAKER JOHNSON TO RECONVENE HOUSE, ADVANCE BIPARTISAN AI SAFEGUARDS

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Silicon Valley Congressman Sam Liccardo (CA-16) shared a letter urging Speaker Mike Johnson to immediately reconvene the House of Representatives and advance meaningful, bipartisan safeguards for advanced artificial intelligence. Reps. Lori Trahan (MA-03), George Whitesides (CA-27), and Ted Lieu (CA-36) co-signed the letter, which remains open for additional signatures.

The letter points to recent disclosures involving rogue AI agents, biological misuse, cyberattacks, foreign surveillance and efforts by Chinese companies to replicate leading American AI systems.

"Reasonable minds may disagree about precisely how Congress should regulate this rapidly evolving technology. We cannot disagree about the imperative for Congress to act," the lawmakers write.

The letter highlights several proposals that merit congressional consideration including legislation mandating transparency and evaluation of frontier models, "kill switch" requirements, and a waiver of antitrust laws to enable critical industry-wide collaboration on safety and security.

"Whether with these proposals or any other variants, AI experts and leading companies agree that the United States can lead the world in artificial intelligence while establishing reasonable safeguards that protect Americans and our national security. We can-and must-do both," the letter reads.

Republican House leadership recently canceled two weeks of session in September, and the letter criticizes that prolonged absence as AI researchers, companies and Americans increasingly demand congressional action.

"While AI safety experts and Americans increasingly urge action to confront this conflagration of risk, Congress fiddles."

The letter calls on the House to return immediately and remain in Washington until Congress advances bipartisan AI safeguards.

"To our children who will have read a post-apocalyptic history, 'Why Congress Slept'-likely written by agentic AI-our inaction will be inexplicable, and unforgivable."