U.S. House of Representatives Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (Democrat, New York) speaks with his finger raised during a press conference, more than a month after the longest U.S. government shutdown, in Washington, DC, on November 10, 2025.
Evelyn HochsteinReuter
House Democrats are creating a committee on artificial intelligence to position themselves as leaders on the issue as AI companies focus on Washington, D.C., and train campaign contributions.
The House Democratic Committee on AI and the Innovation Economy is scheduled to begin meeting this month and will work with AI companies, stakeholders, and congressional committees overseeing aspects of the field to help develop policy expertise.
The commission is a response to the growing presence of AI policy and AI companies around Washington.
AI companies are ramping up their lobbying efforts, opening offices near the Capitol and launching campaigns through super PACs that will spend at least $100 million on the 2026 midterm elections.
There is a growing debate surrounding AI, particularly in relation to the rise in individual state laws that may conflict with federal standards.
OpenAI, Andreessen Horowitz, google Lobbying to block state laws regulating AI. The Democratic Party largely opposes that push.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York said in a statement about the task force shared with CNBC that Democrats are “ready and willing to address these issues so we can improve the health, safety, and economic well-being of the American people.”
House Democratic Caucus Vice Chairman Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) attends a press conference after the House Democratic Caucus on Tuesday, July 23, 2024, at the U.S. Capitol.
Bill Clark | CQ-Roll Call Inc. | Getty Images
Representatives Ted Lieu of California, Josh Gottheimer of New Jersey, and Valerie Foushee of North Carolina will lead the committee. The top Democrats on the AI committee, Zoe Lofgren of California and Frank Pallone of Massachusetts, will serve as ex-officio co-chairs. All House Democrats are invited to participate.
Mr. Liu drew a line between Republicans and Democrats in their response to AI issues.
He accused the Trump administration of offering to sell advanced chips to China, signing revenue-sharing agreements and posting deepfake videos. President Trump announced Monday that he would allow Nvidia to send its advanced H200 chips to “approved customers” such as China.
“House Democrats reject this misguided approach, which risks leaving Americans vulnerable and weakening our nation’s competitiveness,” Lieu said in a statement. “Instead, Democrats will rise to the occasion by working with all stakeholders to strengthen innovation and develop smart, durable solutions that protect the public.”
Gottheimer said the group also wants to keep the U.S. “ahead of the curve” when it comes to AI and find ways to collaborate with larger industries.
“We need Congress to be educated about these new technologies so we can put in place the right policies and guardrails to grow and protect the American people,” he said in a statement.
The House of Representatives previously established a bipartisan task force on AI, which released a report in December 2024 with recommendations for action at both the Congressional and executive levels.
