House Members Urge Mike Johnson to Cancel Recess Over AI Risks

A bipartisan group of House lawmakers is urging Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., to bring the House back to Washington and keep it in session until Congress advances safeguards addressing the potential risks posed by artificial intelligence.

House Speaker Mike Johnson faces calls from lawmakers to bring the House back into session and advance bipartisan safeguards against potential risks from advanced artificial intelligence. [Photo: Speaker Mike Johnson]

The letter, drafted by Rep. Sam Liccardo, D-Calif., calls for the House to “return to Washington immediately and remain in session until Congress advances meaningful, bipartisan AI safeguards,” Axios reported Sept. 11.

Reps. George Whitesides, D-Calif.; Lori Trahan, D-Mass.; and Ted Lieu, D-Calif., were among the lawmakers backing the letter, which was still circulating of late.

The lawmakers cited recent warnings from current and former Anthropic researchers about the possibility that unchecked development of advanced AI could pose catastrophic risks.

The House was scheduled to return Monday for one week before beginning another lengthy recess that would run until Nov. 9, according to the lawmakers' letter and reporting by Axios.

The lawmakers argued that Congress should remain in session until it can advance bipartisan measures addressing AI safety.

Among the proposals under discussion are measures involving human control over advanced AI systems and broader federal oversight.

Johnson has not agreed to the lawmakers' demand. In comments reported Sept. 13, he said Congress would not necessarily take the lead on AI safety regulation and suggested that lawmakers should first identify a clear legislative solution.

He also proposed discussions involving Trump, members of Congress and AI companies.

The dispute highlights a growing divide in Washington over how quickly Congress should respond to concerns about increasingly capable AI systems and how to balance safety measures with the US effort to remain competitive in the technology.