{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.kelly.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/support-rolls-in-from-arizona-tribal-leaders-for-kellys-make-ai-work-for-americans-act/", "Support Rolls in from Arizona,\u00a0Tribal Leaders\u00a0for Kelly\u2019s\u00a0Make AI Work for Americans Act", "2026-09-29", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "Senate", "AZ", "Mark Kelly", "K000377", "www.kelly.senate.gov", "markkelly", "https://www.kelly.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/", "scraper", "Last week, Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ) introduced the Make AI Work for Americans Act, landmark legislation designed to make sure companies benefiting the most from AI pay their fair share and invest in American workers. The bill establishes a dedicated federal trust fund to support American workers, job seekers, and communities as the economy changes. Since its introduction, the bill has received broad support from Arizona and tribal leaders and organizations.\n\nSee what supporters of the Make AI Work for Americans Act are saying here:\n\n\u201cArtificial intelligence is poised to reshape our economy in ways we can\u2019t yet predict, and we need to prepare now so that Arizonans aren\u2019t left behind. I\u2019m grateful to Senator Kelly for his leadership on this issue. Arizona is fortunate to have him fighting for our workers,\u201d said Kris Mayes, Attorney General, Arizona.\n\nKris Mayes on X: Artificial intelligence is poised to reshape our economy in ways we can\u2019t yet predict, and we need to prepare now so that Arizonans aren\u2019t left behind. I\u2019m grateful to Senator Kelly for his leadership on this issue. Arizona is fortunate to have him fighting for our workers.\n\n\u201cOn behalf of the Gila River Indian Community, I support Senator Kelly\u2019s leadership in introducing the Make AI Work for Americans Act. It is time for Congress to make sure that AI advancements are made in a thoughtful and deliberative manner that protects our people, our environment, and our workforce. It is critical that as Congress develops AI policies and laws that tribal governments are included and can ensure our communities and our workforce are both protected and can advance as AI evolves. Senator Kelly\u2019s legislation would ensure that the American workforce, including the tribal workforce, has opportunities to grow with AI advancements through every stage of their career by providing training and workforce opportunities for apprentices, new and existing workers, and entrepreneurs. The legislation carefully balances the U.S. labor market needs to create employment pathways while ensuring consistent monitoring of AI advancements to ensure that as AI evolves it isn\u2019t just big companies who benefit. I applaud Senator Kelly\u2019s strategic approach to ensuring workforce protections at a time when AI is evolving at a rapid pace. The Community looks forward to working with Senator Kelly as he advances this bill in Congress,\u201d said Governor Stephen Roe Lewis, Gila River Indian Community.\n\n\u201cThe Pascua Yaqui Tribe believes in creating opportunities that strengthen our people and communities for generations to come. Senator Kelly\u2019s Make AI Work for Americans Act will give Tribal small businesses owners more opportunities to grow and create jobs as our economy changes. I appreciate his commitment to making sure Tribal communities share in the economic opportunities created by AI,\u201d said Julian Hernandez, Chairman of the Pascua Yaqui Tribe.\n\n\u201cAs AI evolves it will change how the Salt River Pima Maricopa Indian Community does business, but it does not need to change how we work together as a community,\u201d said Martin Harvier, President of the Salt River Pima Maricopa Indian Community. Harvier continued, \u201cSenator Kelly\u2019s Make AI Work for Americans Act will ensure that that the next generation of employees have the training and education they need to serve in their communities, and it will provide individuals whose jobs were displaced due to changing technology with a strong foundation on which to rebuild. I look forward to working with Senator Kelly and his colleagues to strengthen Arizona\u2019s economy and build a more resilient workforce in the years to come,\u201dsaid Martin Harvier, President, Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community.\n\n\u201cI appreciate Senator Kelly\u2019s commitment to making sure some of the profits from artificial intelligence are invested in American workers who will be deeply impacted by changing technology,\u201d said Kate Gallego, Mayor, City of Phoenix.\n\n\u201cThe future of work cannot be shaped without workers at the table. As AI changes our workplaces, workers in Tucson and across the country deserve access to the skills, support and opportunity to build a stable future paid for by the AI corporations. Senator Kelly\u2019s bill centers workers and families in our national response,\u201d said Mayor Regina Romero, City of Tucson.\n\nReginalRomero on X: Thank you @SenMarkKelly for introducing the Make AI Work for Americans Act! As AI reshapes our economy, workers and their families should come first, not the bottom lines of Big Tech.\n\n\u201cArtificial intelligence is changing how we learn, work, and create at an accelerated pace that demands we evolve in the way we manage this moment,\u201d said Michael Crow, President, Arizona State University, whose PhD in public administration was focused on science and technology policy. \u201cSenator Mark Kelly\u2019s Make AI Work for Americans Act is a critical step forward at an inflection point in AI\u2019s progress, recognizing the need to equip Americans with the tools to navigate and participate in an economy being reshaped by this technology. The bill addresses AI literacy, workforce training, postsecondary education, and the needs of mid-career workers, presenting solutions that reflect the scale of the challenges ahead. ASU understands the fundamental responsibility of higher education to lead in a time of rapid technological change, and we are committed to helping drive the education and workforce approaches presented in this legislation.\u201d\n\nMichael Crow on X: As AI transforms how we work, we need to be equally focused on expanding the opportunities people have to learn, adapt and succeed. I appreciate Sen. Mark Kelly advancing this important conversation.\n\n\u201cI appreciate Senator Kelly\u2019s leadership on preparing Arizona\u2019s workers and communities for the AI transition. His focus on workforce training, apprenticeships and stronger university-community college partnerships aligns directly with the work the University of Arizona is doing across our state,\u201d said Suresh Garimella, President, University of Arizona, Distinguished Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering\n\n\u201cNavajo Technical University applauds Senator Kelly for introducing the Make AI Work for Americans Act. As the nation races to build an AI-ready workforce, Native communities must be included. This legislation\u2019s focus on workforce training funding, rural broadband access, and higher education partnerships is the kind of investment that ensures AI\u2019s benefits reach Indian Country. At NTU, we are preparing the next generation of Din\u00e9 engineers, data scientists, and technologists. This Act would help us scale that work and make sure Native students have a seat at the table as this technology reshapes the workforce. We urge Congress to move swiftly to pass it,\u201d saidElmer Guy, President, Navajo Technical University.\n\n\u201cDin\u00e9 College views the AI Workforce for Americans Act as a significant opportunity to translate AI workforce policy into education, industry-recognized credentials, employment, entrepreneurship, and economic opportunity for the Navajo Nation\u2014while ensuring that Din\u00e9 sovereignty, Indigenous knowledge, language, and Tribal data are protected,\u201d said Arlando Teller, Director of Legislative & Government Affairs, Din\u00e9 College.\n\n\u201cArizona\u2019s community colleges are where technological change becomes opportunity for students, workers, and employers. Across our eleven independent college districts, preparing people for an AI-driven economy means connecting accessible education with the skills employers need. We support the Make AI Work for Americans Act\u2019s workforce provisions, particularly its investment in community college programs, employer partnerships, and services that help students complete their education and move into meaningful careers. We appreciate Senator Kelly\u2019s recognition that workers need opportunities to build new skills throughout their lives. From our largest cities to our rural and tribal communities, America\u2019s leadership in AI will depend on investing just as boldly in people as we do in technology,\u201d said Eric A. Heiser, PhD, President & CEO, Coconino Community College, Chair, Arizona Community College Coordinating Council (AC4).\n\n\u201cAI is changing our economy, and Hispanic entrepreneurs and small business owners need to be part of what comes next. That\u2019s why this bill matters: it puts real resources behind business owners and entrepreneurs who are ready to build in this new economy but need the tools and capital to do it. We thank Senator Kelly for recognizing what our community needs to grow and succeed,\u201d saidMonica Villalobos, President and CEO of the Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.\n\n\u201cArizona\u2019s workforce is the engine of our thriving economy. As AI continues to transform key industries across Arizona, we must ensure that it creates meaningful opportunities for working families and that our workers have access to the skills they need to succeed in an AI-driven economy,\u201d said Mary Foote, Principal Deputy Director, Office of Economic Opportunity.\n\n\u201cAI is rapidly reshaping the way industries operate, and it\u2019s essential that our economic and workforce development strategies keep pace,\u201d said Sandra Watson, President and CEO, Arizona Commerce Authority. \u201cI\u2019m grateful to Senator Kelly for his leadership in advancing U.S. technology leadership while helping ensure that every Arizonan has access to the skills, training, and pathways needed to thrive in the 21st-century economy.\u201d\n\n\u201cI believe this legislation\u2019s most important aspect is its proactive nature. Creating a resource that funds ongoing workforce development, education, research and labor market programs that enable residents to upskill or change industries by earning a credential or certification, or by participating in a registered apprenticeship program, will keep more Americans employed through any coming economic disruptions. In particular, we\u2019re encouraged by the inclusion of entrepreneurship and small business development as viable beneficiaries of resources generated by this proposed bill,\u201d said Kimber Lanning, CEO of Local First Arizona, the largest local business coalition in the US. \u201cInvesting in entrepreneurship is a brilliant strategy for creating long-term economic resilience across the country.\u201d\n\n\u201cHustle PHX supports the Make AI Work for Americans Act because innovation should create opportunity in every community. As AI reshapes our economy, we must invest in the people who will shape its future\u2014especially entrepreneurs, workers, and communities that have historically faced barriers to economic opportunity. We believe community empowerment means more than access to technology. It means access to skills, capital, entrepreneurship, supportive resources, and pathways to economic mobility. We encourage implementation of this legislation to prioritize underserved communities and measure success by real outcomes\u2014jobs, income, businesses, and stronger communities,\u201d said Oye Waddell, CEO, Hustle PHX.\n\n\u201cSenator Kelly is right: the companies profiting most from AI built it on the knowledge and work of all of us, and some of that value has to come back to American workers. The Make AI Work for Americans Act does that. As a computer scientist and owner of a small Arizona AI firm, I see the other half of the equation every day. Small and medium businesses, which generate nearly half of our economy, want to adopt AI but can\u2019t afford the expertise to do it well. This bill\u2019s investment in community college training and in technical assistance for small businesses adopting AI points the way: helping employers redesign jobs around the people they already have, so workers stay employed rather than only being supported after they fall. It is also how America wins the AI race with China: not only by building the most powerful models, but by putting AI to work across our entire economy,\u201d said Loretta H. Cheeks, Ph.D., Founder and CEO, DS Innovation & Strong TIES.\n\nClick here to read the full text of the bill, here for a section-by-section, and here for a one-pager.", 1, "2026-09-30T10:57:52Z", "2026-09-30T10:59:04Z"]], "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://www.kelly.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/support-rolls-in-from-arizona-tribal-leaders-for-kellys-make-ai-work-for-americans-act/"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.404475886374712, "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"}