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GOP leadership says Congress needs more education on AI before passing safety laws, punting major bills past the 2026 midterms
House Republican leaders have decided that significant AI safety legislation won’t move forward before the November 2026 midterms. Speaker Mike Johnson and Majority Leader Steve Scalise have effectively shelved major bills addressing the risks of advanced artificial intelligence, citing a need for more education among party members and a reluctance to legislate under pre-election pressure.
The result: as of September 2026, no major AI safety bill has been advanced on the House floor.
Why Republicans are hitting the brakes #
Rep. Nathaniel Moran framed the thinking neatly, saying there are “three bad times” for AI policy: before an election, without education, and when driven by emotion.
Speaker Johnson has emphasized that any AI policy must be crafted meticulously to protect US competitiveness, particularly against China.
Earlier in 2026, House Republican leaders endorsed a White House AI framework focused on preempting state-level AI laws. But endorsing a framework and actually passing legislation are very different things.
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Former President Trump has dismissed AI risk warnings as a “hoax,” which creates significant headwinds for any Republican lawmaker who might otherwise champion safety-focused legislation.
The bills gathering dust #
Two pieces of legislation illustrate the stalled state of play. The bipartisan Great American AI Act, introduced in July 2026 by Reps. Jay Obernolte and Lori Trahan, would mandate risk disclosures from AI developers and grant the Commerce Department authority over catastrophic risks. Without leadership support, it sits in legislative limbo.
Rep. Moran’s AI Incident Reporting Act, a narrower bill focused on transparency around AI safety incidents, has also stalled.
Congress is heading into a seven-week recess, with discussions expected to continue informally. The earliest realistic window for floor consideration would be November, after the midterm elections.
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