(The Center Square) – With artificial intelligence becoming a political flashpoint as midterm elections loom, congressional Republicans and Democrats are split over the best approach to AI policy.
Some Republicans are following the lead of President Donald Trump, who on Monday berated the very idea of AI guardrails and dubbed nationwide backlash against data centers a “conspiracy.”
“The only control or ‘guardrails’ that AI needs is a STRONG AND SMART (High IQ!) PRESIDENT, and the U.S.A. has that, in spades!” Trump posted on Truth Social. “We already have tremendous CRIMINAL and REGULATORY power over these companies! There is a SICK conspiracy going on against AI and Data Centers, and the only one that is happy about it is China.”
U.S. House Science Committee Republicans echoed the sentiment in a Monday social media post, highlighting their ongoing investigation into “potential foreign influence behind organized opposition to U.S. AI data center development.”
“As America works to maintain its leadership in AI, we must ensure foreign interests are not working to undermine the energy infrastructure needed to power it,” they added. Reps. Rich McCormick, R-Ga., and Brian Babin, R-Texas, who head the committee, both reposted the message.
A few Republicans — such as Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas; who is leaving Congress in January, and Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo.; — have expressed caution over the rapid advancement of AI. But most seem more concerned about potentially overregulating the technology and favor an industry-first approach.
“We all have a sense of urgency to create guardrails around the technology,” House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., posted on social media Sunday night. “The key is designing the guardrails carefully, in a way that prevents any harm from AI —while also preserving American innovation and our national security by keeping our edge over China and other international competitors.”
Johnson reiterated his position to reporters Monday, adding that “The reflex of legislative bodies is to cover things up with red tape.”
By contrast, many congressional Democrats have become even more vocal about the environmental, constitutional, and economic threats AI poses, arguing that voluntary pledges from tech giants to “self-regulate”
Vice Chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., argued that recent voluntary pledges from tech giants to “self-regulate” do not “meet this moment,” urging Congress on Monday to “act this week to meet the rapidly developing threat landscape posed by AI.”
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., told reporters Monday that “the explosive growth of artificial intelligence…requires decisive congressional action immediately.”
Rep. James Walkinshaw, D-Va., criticized Trump’s post and also called on Johnson to keep the chamber in session, rather than letting House members leave Thursday for the rest of September.
“Trump calls warnings about AI a ‘SICK conspiracy.’ Researchers are warning that the risks are real,” Walkinshaw wrote on social media platform X. “Speaker Johnson must keep the House in session so we can advance bipartisan AI safeguards to keep it aligned with America’s interests. Congress cannot take a six-week break from this.”
This post was originally published on The Center Square.
