Several Democratic lawmakers in the US House are calling on Speaker Mike Johnson to cancel the chamber’s upcoming recess and keep Congress in Washington until measures addressing artificial intelligence risks are advanced, according to Axios.
The request comes in a letter drafted by California Democrat Sam Liccardo and supported by Representatives George Whitesides, Lori Trahan and Ted Lieu. The lawmakers want the House to resume work immediately and remain in session until bipartisan legislation aimed at strengthening AI safeguards makes progress.
Their concerns follow warnings from current and former researchers at Anthropic, who have said increasingly advanced AI systems could present an existential danger to humanity within the coming decade.
The lawmakers pointed to several proposed measures, including the AI Kill Switch Act, which would ensure humans maintain the ability to slow or shut down AI systems. They also highlighted the FRONTIER Act, which seeks to create a nationwide regulatory framework for artificial intelligence.
The House is due to return Monday but is scheduled to leave Washington after one week and remain on recess until Nov. 9. Johnson has announced plans for a vote on legislation concerning energy costs linked to data centers, but he has not signaled plans to pursue broader AI regulation before the Nov. 3 midterm elections.
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