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The House Energy and Commerce chair framed AI governance as a race against China, not a regulatory exercise with Europe
Rep. Brett Guthrie wants the US to build AI infrastructure first and write the rulebook later. Speaking at POLITICO’s Decoded Summit in Washington on September 16, the Kentucky Republican and chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee laid out a vision for American AI policy that treats Europe’s regulatory playbook less as a model and more as a cautionary tale.
His core argument: the real competition isn’t with Brussels over who can draft the most comprehensive AI safety framework. It’s with Beijing over who controls the next era of technological dominance.
The case against the European model #
Instead of layering on federal rules, Guthrie called for a unified national standard on AI regulation. That standard would be built under the Commerce Clause, effectively preempting the emerging patchwork of state-level AI laws that are already complicating things for companies operating across multiple jurisdictions.
He went a step further, advocating for a moratorium on state AI regulations while Congress works through the details.
The broader Republican platform in 2026 has leaned heavily into this pro-innovation posture on emerging tech. That stance creates friction with bipartisan voices in Congress who worry about AI’s potential for misuse, from deepfakes in elections to algorithmic discrimination in hiring and lending.
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China’s $295 billion shadow #
Guthrie repeatedly pointed to China’s infrastructure ambitions as the primary reason the US can’t afford regulatory paralysis. China is on track to invest roughly $295 billion in data center infrastructure over the next five years.
Guthrie flagged US permitting delays as a particular vulnerability. Getting approval to build new data centers, run new transmission lines, and connect to the grid can take years in some jurisdictions.
To address the energy side of the equation, Guthrie pointed to the Ratepayer Protection Act, a piece of legislation designed to shield consumers from electricity price spikes driven by the enormous power demands of AI data centers.
International winds shifting toward lighter touch #
A G20 accord reached in September 2026 endorsed lighter-touch AI regulations broadly aligned with the US approach. That’s a meaningful shift from even a year ago, when the European model appeared to be gaining traction as the global default.
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