The House made an early exit from Washington, D.C., for its October recess on Wednesday, planning to return only after the midterm elections on November 3.
House Majority Whip Tom Emmer announced that all votes scheduled for Thursday were canceled, with the last votes occurring on Wednesday afternoon. House leadership decided to pause sessions for the latter half of September to focus on campaigning for the midterms, despite looming issues like the national debt, mass surveillance, and artificial intelligence (AI) that remain unaddressed.
More than 100 Democrats urged Speaker Johnson to keep the session running through September and October to tackle risks associated with AI. Tech experts have issued warnings that if AI development continues unchecked, it could pose a grave danger to humanity in the next decade.
President Trump dismissed these warnings as a “sick conspiracy,” claiming that no regulations are necessary. However, some Republicans, including Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, showed willingness to explore regulations on AI without hindering innovation.
Opinions varied among Republicans; some echoed Trump’s concerns about the threat of China’s AI advancements to the U.S., while others argued for stricter regulations on AI technology.
Speaker Mike Johnson pointed out that the House has passed nearly 600 pieces of legislation, including the Safeguard America Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act, which are currently stalled in the Senate. “We need to get more of that done through both chambers so we can get them to the President’s desk. This Congress has done phenomenal work and the members are wrestling a lot of different priorities right now,” he remarked. “Of course, we’re in the middle of a critical midterm election. Many want and need to be back in their districts, engaging with constituents and running their campaigns, and we’re trying to balance all those interests.”
As the national debt exceeds $40 trillion, Congress has yet to see a bill that seeks to fully ban automated surveillance technologies, such as Flock Safety cameras.
