House Republicans Halt Advanced AI Legislation Ahead of Midterms
House Republican leaders have put significant AI safety legislation on hold until after the November 2026 midterms. Speaker Mike Johnson and Majority Leader Steve Scalise have expressed concerns about the readiness of party members for advanced AI policy, citing a need for more education. This decision has effectively shelved major bills addressing the risks of artificial intelligence, with no major bill having been advanced on the House floor as of September 2026.
Rep. Nathaniel Moran stated that there are 'three bad times' for AI policy: before an election, without education, and when driven by emotion. Speaker Johnson emphasized the importance of crafting any AI policy meticulously to protect US competitiveness against China. The Republican leaders have also endorsed a White House AI framework focused on preempting state-level AI laws.
The Great American AI Act, a bipartisan bill introduced in July 2026 by Reps. Jay Obernolte and Lori Trahan, has stalled due to lack of leadership support. It would mandate risk disclosures from AI developers and grant the Commerce Department authority over catastrophic risks. Another bill, Rep. Moran's AI Incident Reporting Act, also focuses on transparency around AI safety incidents but remains in legislative limbo.