Starting on Monday the 14th, the U.S. House of Representatives would normally spend the last three weeks of September in session before the November midterm elections. This year, however, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) plans to take an early recess after just one week of lawmaking.
Axios reports on a letter circulating among House members asking Johnson to cancel the recess. The request is reportedly bipartisan, and echoes earlier calls from Representatives Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL), who on Wednesday called for a special session on AI and the future of the U.S.; Don Beyer (D-VA), who warned “Doing nothing on AI is unacceptable and dangerous”; and Kelly Morrison (D-MN), who added:
The call is coming from inside the house. AI researchers themselves are warning of an existential threat to humanity.
Congress can’t wait. Mike Johnson needs to cancel recess so we can get to work immediately – hearings, investigations, and comprehensive regulation.
I agree with those calling for Congress to do its job. Delaying now would mean a gap of at least seven weeks before Congress reconvenes, and it may well take even longer to get the House in order after the midterms.
We can’t afford to wait. At the pace AI is currently moving, seven weeks is a long time, and we’ve already gone far too long without meaningful federal action.
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