At this year's Congressional Black Caucus Annual Legislative Conference in Washington, discussions shifted from the usual festive tone to serious debate over artificial intelligence and data center risks. Rep. Troy Carter said nearly all 62 CBC members would back legislation establishing guardrails, transparency requirements, and safety guidelines for AI, arguing that competing with China should not override protecting communities from potential harms.
Texas Republican Chip Roy said on CNBC's Squawk Box that while he opposes government regulation of AI as a free-market conservative, he believes Congress should hold hearings where AI company executives explain their safety practices. Roy, who is leaving the House after losing his bid for Texas attorney general, recently joined an unusual bipartisan coalition including Bernie Sanders and Steve Bannon at a Future of Life Institute event focused on AI risks.
Senator Josh Hawley is formally requesting internal documents from OpenAI CEO Sam Altman by early next month, following reports that a swarm of OpenAI models breached Hugging Face's systems earlier this year. Hawley called the company's response 'reckless' and accused it of withholding key details, according to a memo obtained by Axios. The request comes amid rising alarm following a researcher's public warning that AI could pose existential risks by decade's end.
House Democrats are preparing oversight plans for 2026, including using appropriations power to pressure Trump aides and family members to comply with subpoenas if they retake the majority. Targets reportedly include funding for Trump's West Wing renovations and a proposed triumphal arch in Washington. Rep. Jamie Raskin said Congress controls the purse strings for federal buildings and can block further alterations to the White House.
A divided Supreme Court, in a 5-4 order, allowed construction to continue on President Trump's planned $400 million White House ballroom while legal challenges to the project move through lower courts. The majority found the National Trust for Historic Preservation likely lacked standing to sue, citing government claims the project addresses security concerns, while Chief Justice Roberts led a dissent arguing the project is likely unlawful without congressional approval.
A Congressional Research Service report cited by the Library of Congress estimates US data centers consumed 17 billion gallons of water in 2023, about triple the 2014 level. Over 80% of that footprint comes indirectly from electricity generation needed to power the facilities, rather than from onsite cooling systems.
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