Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) speaks on the phone as he walks from his office to the Capitol on September 14, 2026 in Washington, DC.
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The House of Representatives adjourned Wednesday, leaving Washington and almost certain to postpone action on the growing artificial intelligence crisis until after the midterm elections in November.
The early jet-set came after an anthropology researcher resigned and claimed the technology “could kill us all by the end of the decade,” and after a top AI executive actually begged the Washington government to regulate AI. But the urgency with which Anthropic, OpenAI, and xAI are seeking regulation is not reflected in the actions on Capitol Hill, as lawmakers focus on the midterm elections, which are less than seven weeks away.
The midterm elections will determine Washington’s control for the remainder of President Donald Trump’s term, but with early voting already underway in some states, lawmakers are preparing to hit the ground running to make closing arguments. Trump himself has called the reported threats “hoaxes” and has actively opposed restrictive regulation of AI.
“It’s time for members of Congress to go back to their districts and make their case to the American people,” House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) said Wednesday, explaining to reporters why he canceled House work scheduled for Thursday, according to MS NOW. Prime Minister Johnson appears to have placed the onus on the Senate, which remains in session for two more weeks, to pass the bill. The bill must pass both houses of Congress and be signed by the president to become law.
Earlier this week, Prime Minister Johnson signaled that he did not want Congress to move too quickly to regulate AI, warning that Congress could benefit China in the race for AI supremacy if it rushes to slow the technology’s progress.
But Johnson’s decision to send the House home early goes against the wishes of Democrats and even some Republicans.
Rep. Sam Licciardo, D-Calif., is calling for the House of Representatives to stay in session to create regulations for AI. On Tuesday, he led 107 Democrats in a letter to Johnson demanding that the House remain in Washington.
“While AI safety experts and the American people increasingly call for action to combat this conflagration of risk, Congress remains unmoved,” the letter reads. “When we returned to work after the August recess, we consumed floor time debating and voting on performative resolutions opposing socialism. Starting next week, the House resumes its recess — another six weeks.”
Rep. Sam Licciardo (D-Calif.) descends the House steps after the final vote of the week at the U.S. Capitol on September 3, 2026.
Bill Clark | CQ-Roll Call Inc. | Getty Images
Ricardo, a former mayor of San Jose, Calif., who now represents parts of Silicon Valley, told CNBC he was pushing for action because “kids won’t tolerate our inaction.”
“No human being can win the race to superintelligence beyond human control,” Ricardo said. “At least Nero had the good intentions of staying in town while Rome was burning and tinkering. This council is back in the hills campaigning for re-election.”
Mr Ricardo called for immediate action on several “low hanging fruit”. This includes action on a bipartisan bill proposed by Rep. Jay Obanolte (R-Calif.) and Rep. Lori Trahan (Mass.) known as the Frontier Act. The measure would require third-party auditors to ensure AI labs are operating safely and introduce new transparency requirements. The bill would also allow the Commerce Department to suspend or limit a developer’s model if it poses an “immediate and catastrophic risk.”
Ricardo also suggested to CNBC that Congress should immediately consider “kill switch” provisions to shut down AI models that get out of control, and consider narrow antitrust exemptions that would allow top AI companies to cooperate on safety issues.
In a separate letter this week, Obanorte and Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pennsylvania) joined a group of Democrats in urging Johnson and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York to “advance legislation to ensure appropriate guardrails are put in place around this powerful technology as soon as practicable.”
“The current urgency requires action by Congress before the end of the year,” Obernolte told reporters after Wednesday’s House vote. He said he will push for passage of the Frontiers Act and the Great American Artificial Intelligence Act, a comprehensive framework for AI regulation that he and Trahan put together, and that they will consider together when they return to the House.
House Research and Technology Subcommittee Chairman Jay Obanolte (R-Calif.) presided over the hearing on January 14, 2026, in the Rayburn House Office Building at the Capitol in Washington, DC.
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“Honestly, it was very clear to me that nothing meaningful was going to be done on AI regulation before the election,” he said. “I don’t think it would make a difference because there are so many unknowns.”
The Senate could take its first steps towards action on AI between before it leaves in early October and after the election. But it’s not clear yet.
Mr Johnson said the House of Commons would return within 48 hours if the House of Lords passes substantive legislation, but his pledge was not specific to AI regulation.
But Obernolte suggested there was never room for the House to act before the election.
Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), and Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R.S.D.) are working on a yet-to-be-announced AI safety bill.
In brief comments to reporters this week, Cruz said the bill could be voted on in committee by the end of the month.
“I hope so. We’re working hard on it,” Cruz said. “The question is whether there will be bipartisan agreement.”
