# Congress Can't Write Memos Without AI, But Wants To Regulate Yours

> Source: <https://dissenter.com/opinion/congress-cant-write-memos-without-ai-but-wants-to-regulate-yours>
> Published: 2026-08-03 19:16:46+00:00

The people writing laws to control artificial intelligence can't even summarize a bill without asking a chatbot to do it for them — and they want to tell you how to use yours.

House offices funneled roughly nine out of every ten identifiable AI dollars to OpenAI last year, according to a CNBC analysis of House disbursement records. ChatGPT accounted for $100,580 across 798 transactions out of at least $113,740 in total AI spending between April 2025 and March 2026. Anthropic's Claude was a distant second at $13,160 across 37 transactions. The records exclude free accounts, AI bundled into broader software contracts, and most Senate use — meaning the real number is almost certainly higher.

So what are your elected representatives doing with this machine? Writing memos. Summarizing legislation. Drafting social media posts. Responding to constituents. Preparing hearing materials. The work that used to be called governing.

Rep. Julie Fedorchak, R-N.D., told CNBC her staff used ChatGPT to build a searchable database of legislation and constituent materials, and said producing briefing memos with AI is