Amid calls for AI rules, who in Congress has the tech savvy to help?

In July 2026, a House lawmaker admitted that he hadn’t known about “ChatGPT or whatever it is” until “a week ago,’’ per Vox. He may not be the only one struggling to understand how artificial intelligence works, and many lawmakers have acknowledged that they don’t use AI at all.In fact, many of the loudest voices in Congress calling for AI regulation over the past couple of weeks – like Democratic Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Republican Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri – bring little to no experience to the debate around AI safety. The discussion surged into public attention earlier this month by an Anthropic researcher’s prediction that the new technology could in some scenarios kill all humans.Although many in Congress hire tech-savvy staff, several members have firsthand experience. And as pressure increases for Congress to act on AI regulations, that kind of technical knowledge and expertise will become increasingly relevant. Here’s a look at several key congressional members with AI expertise who could become major players as Washington tries to tackle safety issues around artificial intelligence and its potential impact on society and global security. The Monitor interviewed three of these members last week.This article omits several U.S. representatives, such as Democratic Rep. Lori Trahan of Massachusetts, who have already taken an active leadership role on AI issues but lack a background in the technology. Instead, the following list reflects those known to have some expertise in the technology, regardless of their political party or views on AI. The list excludes all senators, very few of whom have a significant technological background. Rafiq Maqbool/APCalifornia Rep. Jay Obernolte, a Republican, speaks at the U.N. climate conference in Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 16, 2024. Jay Obernolte, California RepublicanCalifornia Rep. Jay Obernolte is the only member of Congress with a graduate degree in AI, obtained from the University of California, Los Angeles. He’s also one of the two leaders of the farthest-reaching AI regulation bill, the Frontier Act, that’s gained real traction in Congress.The Frontier Act, which would establish national standards for massive frontier AI models, such as requiring third-party audits, still hasn’t made it through a committee markup. But it’s the most ambitious AI bill to have moved this far to date, and Representatives Obernolte and Trahan hope to pass it before the end of the year. As one of the few Republicans active in pushing AI regulation, Mr. Olbernolte frequently works across the aisle. For example, in 2024, he was appointed co-chair of a one-year bipartisan AI task force that produced 89 AI policy recommendations for Congress.“We started with 24 members of Congress, most of whom had very little exposure to AI,” he says. “And by the end of the last Congress, we had a group of members who were highly educated on the issue, and I think that’s paying dividends.”Despite Mr. Obernolte’s bipartisan efforts, some of his ideas – such as a national regulation that would overrule state laws, a major part of the Frontier Act – have sparked opposition from both Republicans and Democrats. Julia Demaree Nikhinson/APRep. Ro Khanna, a California Democrat, speaks to reporters on the steps of the U.S. Capitol after voting in favor of the Epstein Files Transparency Act, in Washington, Nov. 18, 2025. Ro Khanna, California DemocratRep. Ro Khanna has a broad network of contacts among tech executives and entrepreneurs. “I know all of them,” says the Silicon Valley Democrat. But Representative Khanna still wants to put pressure on those executives.“They need to have regulation, not be talked to with niceties,” he says.Representative Khanna – whose academic background is in law but who is a fluent user of AI and knowledgeable about Silicon Valley dynamics – says he wants to put forward “smart” legislation that convenes people with the know-how to regulate the technology. He says he’s also happy to help his colleagues understand what it means to “vibe code” – or build software using AI instead of writing code independently – or use ChatGPT. “I don’t think they have to be computer scientists, but they should use it,” he says.As ranking member of a committee focused on strategic competition between the United States and China – which Mr. Khanna hopes to chair if Democrats regain control of the House of Representatives in November – he has reached out to Chinese AI firms and is trying to work with China on slowing AI development. John McDonnell/AP/FileRep. Ted Lieu, a California Democrat, speaks during a press conference in Washington, July 9, 2024. Ted Lieu, California DemocratRep. Ted Lieu, one of three members of Congress with a computer science degree, was named one of Time Magazine’s Top 100 Most Influential People in AI in 2023. That same year, when ChatGPT was still a novelty, he introduced the first-ever piece of federal legislation written by AI.Despite his tech fluency, Representative Lieu has deep reservations about the use of artificial intelligence. He has described himself as both “enthralled” and “freaked out” by the technology.Mr. Lieu is spearheading a bipartisan bill that would force companies to build an emergency “kill switch” into their advanced AI models. Mr. Lieu and Democratic Rep. Bill Foster of Illinois have also pushed House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries to form a new, dedicated House Select Committee on AI if Democrats win back the House this year. That committee would consider AI-related legislation and could subpoena witnesses for AI-related hearings.Mr. Jeffries appointed Mr. Lieu last year as a co-chair of a new three-member House Democratic Commission on AI and the Innovation Economy, which is intended to lead the Democratic Party’s policy agenda on AI. Cliff Owen/APRep. Don Beyer, a Virginia Democrat, participates in a rally with conservation groups to oppose the Trump administration's convening of the Endangered Species Committee, at the Interior Department in Washington, March 31, 2026. Don Beyer, Virginia DemocratRep. Don Beyer’s staff sometimes catches him doing calculus homework between meetings. The Virginia congressman started taking college courses in 2022 and is pursuing a master’s degree in machine learning, which teaches how AI systems are built and how they “learn” from data. His goal: to better understand AI as he and colleagues work to craft laws on it. Representative Beyer has been a quiet but influential leader on AI. He leads the bipartisan Congressional Artificial Intelligence Caucus as a co-chair, and, in 2024, he was appointed by House leadership to serve on the bipartisan AI task force that Mr. Obernolte co-chaired.Democratic staffers say he’s skilled at bringing different sides together. As co-chair of the AI caucus, he’s had groups ranging from AI insiders to alarmists come and brief members. Mr. Beyer is likely to raise his hand if House leadership creates an AI-specific committee next year. Mark Thiessen/AP/FileRep. Nick Begich, an Alaska Republican, speaks during a forum for candidates in Anchorage, Alaska, May 12, 2022. Nick Begich, Alaska RepublicanRep. Nick Begich has been particularly enthusiastic about data centers, saying their construction could produce economic benefits for his energy-rich state.The former software entrepreneur is also one of the few members of Congress who can write computer code. He has encouraged his staff to become comfortable using AI and has set up a training program to teach other offices how to use it as well.Representative Begich serves on the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee, where he promotes a light-touch approach to AI, believing that regulation should not hinder the U.S. from fast, competitive AI development. Jose Luis Magana/AP/FileRep. Suhas Subramanyam, a Virginia Democrat, talks to reporters after attending new Congress member orientation, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Nov. 12, 2024. Suhas Subramanyam, Virginia DemocratRep. Suhas Subramanyam says tech leaders warned him a decade ago about the AI risks that Congress seems to be just waking up to. At the time, he and those tech leaders were already discussing guardrails.“And now here we are 10 years later, and we still haven’t gotten the guardrails we need in place,” he says.The freshman Virginia representative served as a technology policy adviser in the Obama administration. He says the best way to address safety concerns is with concrete legislation. Deepen your worldviewwith Monitor Highlights.Politics with respectGet political stories with respectful analysis.There‘s a world of new ideas in everyBooks newsletter.There‘s more to life, enrich yours withCulture & Learning weekly.Follow humanity‘s discoveries withScience & Nature stories in your inbox.Gain a spiritual perspectivefrom the stories in your inbox.Want to understand the deeper impact of critical events? Learn the Monitor‘s insight.Already a subscriber? Log in to hide ads. “I’m tired of all the conferences and roundtables and hearings on AI,” he says.Though he has not introduced regulatory legislation on AI, Representative Subramanyam has recently co-launched a caucus focused on supporting small AI innovators, and he has used his position on the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee to call for an investigation into the concern that investment in AI companies is exceeding their worth, potentially causing a stock market decline. ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER? LoginReal news can be honest, hopeful, credible, constructive.The Christian Science Monitor was founded in 1908 to lift the standard of journalism and uplift humanity. We aim to “speak the truth in love.” Our goal is not to tell you what to think, but to give you the essential knowledge and understanding to come to your own intelligent conclusions. Join us in this mission by subscribing.