{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://foushee.house.gov/media/press-releases/leader-jeffries-names-rep-foushee-as-co-chair-of-new-house-democratic-commission-on-ai-and-the-innovation-economy", "Leader Jeffries Names Rep. Foushee as Co-Chair of New House Democratic Commission on AI And the Innovation Economy", "2025-12-09", "2025", "2025-12", "Democrat", "House", "NC", "Valerie P. Foushee", "F000477", "foushee.house.gov", "foushee", "https://foushee.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, DC (December 9, 2025) \u2014 Today, Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries announced the launch of a new House Democratic Commission on AI and the Innovation Economy that will convene throughout 2026. The commission will develop policy expertise in partnership with the innovation community, relevant stakeholders and committees of jurisdiction. Rep. Valerie Foushee (NC-04), Caucus Vice Chair Ted Lieu (CA-36), Rep. Josh Gottheimer (NJ-05) will serve as Co-Chairs. Rep. Zoe Lofgren (CA-18), Ranking Member of the Science, Space and Technology Committee and Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06), Ranking Member of the Energy and Commerce Committee, will serve as Ex Officio Co-Chairs. Democrats that served on the Bipartisan AI Task Force last Congress will hold key roles, and all Members of the House Democratic Caucus will be invited to participate.\n\n\u201cArtificial intelligence is already reshaping our economy, our democracy, our communities and the future of work in real time, yet the Trump administration has refused to put in place responsible guardrails to protect the American people, workers and families from the downsides of rapid technological change,\u201d said Congresswoman Foushee. \u201cAs co-chair of the new House Democratic Caucus Commission on Artificial Intelligence and the Innovation Economy, I am committed to advancing clear, enforceable rules of the road to foster responsible innovation, keep Americans safe, protect privacy and civil rights, safeguard jobs, strengthen our economy and ensure that AI serves the public interest instead of undermining it. We cannot afford more delays or more excuses. It is time for Congress to lead.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe brilliance and ingenuity of the innovation community has positioned America to lead the world in artificial intelligence and pioneer potentially life-changing breakthroughs in medicine and other fields of human endeavor that will benefit humanity. It is important that American companies continue to thrive in this area. At the same time, Congress must consider what policies are needed to prevent bad actors from exploiting this transformative technology and inflicting harm upon the American people,\u201d said Leader Jeffries. \u201cUnfortunately, Republicans abandoned the Bipartisan Task Force on AI. At this watershed moment in technological history, the people we are privileged to represent understandably have questions about how AI will affect their lives into the future. House Democrats are ready, willing and able to lean into those issues so we can uplift the health, safety and economic well-being of the American people. I\u2019m thankful to Ranking Member Zoe Lofgren, Ranking Member Frank Pallone, Caucus Vice Chair Ted Lieu, Rep. Josh Gottheimer and Rep. Valerie Foushee for their leadership, commitment and willingness to serve.\u201d\n\n\u201cAI is a transformational technology. It has the potential to make the lives of everyday Americans profoundly better. However, it also carries with it risks,\u201d said Ranking Member Lofgren. \u201cPolicymakers in Congress need to educate themselves about this game changing technology so that we can have informed debates about the issues that surround it. Unfortunately, House Republicans have been largely MIA when it comes to the issue of AI this Congress. I applaud Leader Jeffries for launching this Commission on AI and the Innovation Economy so that Democratic Members can stay engaged with academia, industry and other stakeholders to keep up with this rapidly evolving technology and ensure that America leads the world in the deployment of safe and trustworthy AI.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe United States can and must continue to lead the world in the development of artificial intelligence,\u201d said Ranking Member Pallone. \u201cRather than blanket moratoriums, we should be learning from the work of our state and local counterparts to deliver well-considered legislation that provides American businesses and communities the framework and resources to succeed. Congress must both support policies that foster innovation and ensure we\u2019re protecting Americans\u2019 privacy and safety. I look forward to working with members of the commission and the entire Democratic Caucus to ensure we continue to win the future of AI.\u201d\n\n\u201cI\u2019m honored to join Representatives Lofgren, Pallone, Foushee and Gottheimer as members of the House Democratic Commission on AI and the Innovation Economy, and I\u2019m grateful to Leader Jeffries for the opportunity to help continue to lead this critical work,\u201d said Vice Chair Lieu. \u201cArtificial intelligence is advancing at a breakneck pace, and Congress must keep up. House Democrats are committed to fostering innovation, expanding economic opportunity and strengthening America\u2019s competitiveness in AI\u2014while also ensuring sensible guardrails are in place to prevent significant harm. What is the Trump administration\u2019s plan? Selling high-performance AI chips to China, pushing government ownership and revenue sharing requirements onto tech companies and spreading harmful deepfake videos. House Democrats reject this misguided approach, which risks leaving Americans vulnerable and our competitiveness weakened. Instead, Democrats will meet the moment by working with all stakeholders to develop smart, durable solutions that strengthen innovation and protect the public.\u201d\n\n\u201cFrom health care to education, the potential for artificial intelligence is boundless. The key for our economy and national security is to stay ahead of the curve \u2014 and ahead of our global competitors,\u201d said Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5). \u201cAs a member of the House Intelligence Committee, and the Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on the National Security Agency and Cyber, I see every day just how quickly the landscape is shifting. That\u2019s why this new Commission on AI is critical. We need to ensure Congress is educated on these new technologies, that we\u2019re putting the right policies, legislation, and guardrails in place to grow and protect Americans, and that the U.S. continues to be the leader in AI-fueled jobs and innovation.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://foushee.house.gov/media/press-releases/leader-jeffries-names-rep-foushee-as-co-chair-of-new-house-democratic-commission-on-ai-and-the-innovation-economy"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.5879110433161259, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}