Sen. Rand Paul blocked an attempt by fellow Republican Sen. John Kennedy to quickly pass legislation that would require companies to build a “kill switch” into their artificial intelligence model.
Kennedy, of Louisiana, went to the Senate floor Wednesday to try to pass his bill without holding a formal vote — a step that can be prevented by any one of his 99 colleagues. He argued that the measure was effectively a short-term step, with Congress unlikely to pass more sweeping AI legislation in the immediate future even amid fears that technological advancements could spiral out of human control.
“We are not going to get up off our ice-cold lazy butts and address this anytime soon,” Kennedy said about Congress’ inability to pass a more comprehensive bill. “But still we’ve got this risk out there that we know is real of one of these models becoming the Terminator.”
https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2026/09/16/congress/paul-kills-kill-switch-bill-01081348
Washington — House Speaker Mike Johnson on Wednesday canceled votes in the chamber that were planned for Thursday, cutting the work week short and sending members home until after the November midterm elections.
Lawmakers will be away from Washington for more than six weeks, avoiding potentially controversial votes and intraparty fighting before voters head to the polls. Johnson previously canceled votes for the last two weeks in September.
“The House has done its work,” Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, told reporters at the Capitol. “It’s time for our members to go home to their districts and make their case to the American people.”
Before leaving town, the House is expected to vote on legislation to impose new sanctions on Russia and a bill to shield consumers from data center energy costs. But lawmakers’ exodus from Washington will also leave some outstanding issues in limbo until they return following the elections.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/house-cancels-votes-adjourning-midterms/
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