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Chairman Steil's full opening statement as prepared for delivery:
We're here to discuss the Congressional Research Service and the critical role it plays in helping Congress carry out effective, informed oversight.
The world is in the middle of a transformational moment.
Rapid advances in artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies are changing how most sectors operate. Capitol Hill is no exception.
Major technology companies, startups, and think tanks are rushing to develop tools that promise AI-enabled policy synthesis, legislative analysis, or new oversight capabilities.
These efforts can have, on net, a positive impact: congressional staff are beginning to expect richer, more tailored analysis to support their work.
And in Member offices, we're seeing something worth noting.
Using the tools and processes that the Committee on House Administration has put in place over the last three years, staff are beginning to build their own internal tools to support their daily responsibilities.
One example comes from Representative Keith Self's office.
His team built an AI-based tool that provides summaries of introduced bills, outlines parliamentary considerations, recommends floor strategies, and even drafts a regulatory impact statement.
And because they prioritize protecting taxpayer funds, they did this in a cost-effective manner-It costs less than a dollar to run the analysis.
This is an example of what happens when offices plan and execute on new technology. It shows that the legislative branch can be a leader in responsible technology adoption, and it offers early proof that AI can help Members carry out more effective oversight and legislative analysis.
This is the landscape CRS finds itself in today-one that is changing quickly and where expectations are rising just as fast.
CRS has an opportunity to complement and even shape this emerging ecosystem, bringing to it the values that have defined the Service for decades: authoritative, trusted, and transparent analysis.
But maintaining that role of thought leadership requires CRS to keep pace with the moment, even as it balances the significant technology investments it has made over the past decade.
The question before us today is: How can CRS innovate boldly while remaining grounded in its core mission-serving every Member of Congress and every staffer impartially?
How can CRS approach this challenge while remaining responsible stewards of taxpayer dollars: where every dollar invested in an IT system counts, and where every CRS staff member is fully engaged?
We look forward to hearing from CRS, and from you Doctor, about how you see this moment, how you understand the art of the possible, and how you plan to execute on a vision that allows the Service to step forward responsibly and confidently on behalf of Congress.
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