House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries signaled Monday that shielding consumers from rising electricity costs associated with the data center boom would be a priority on Democrats’ artificial intelligence agenda should they win back a majority.

The New York Democrat said at a press conference that Democrats want to ensure that “our homegrown companies can continue to lead the world in this transformative technology” but that “we’ve got to make sure we protect the American consumer.”

“We have to protect the American homeowner,” Jeffries said when asked by Blue Light News about how he is advising Democrats to talk about AI and what his related legislative priorities would be. “We have to protect the American rate payer from some of the downsides of the explosion of what has been taking place across the country, particularly in connection with data centers.”

Jeffries’ comment comes as House Democratic leadership’s AI priorities are beginning to crystallize. Earlier Monday, Republican Rep. Jay Obernolte and Democratic Rep. Ted Lieu — both members of leadership from California — introduced legislation to boost federal research on AI.

“We’ve maintained from the very beginning as House Democrats that we want to support innovation excellence, while at the same time making sure there are guardrails to protect the American people,” Jeffries said.

Speaker Mike Johnson said Monday that language in a Homeland Security funding bill the Senate passed unanimously near three weeks ago is “problematic” and will have to be changed to pass the House.

The bill as written, Johnson said, would “orphan” funding for key immigration enforcement agencies including Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Passage of that measure is part of a two-track DHS funding approach that won President Donald Trump’s endorsement but has faced skepticism from some conservative hard-liners.

The failure of the House and Senate GOP to align on a plan threatens to further delay the passage of DHS funding, even after Saturday’s attempted assassination at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.

“It has some problematic language because it was haphazardly drafted,” Johnson told reporters of the Senate-passed bill. “We have a modified version that I think is going to be much better for both chambers.”

The language in question explicitly zeroes out funding for ICE and Customs and Border Protection, which are set to be funded in a second measure to be passed under the party-line budget reconciliation process.

Stripping it out as the conservative are demanding would force the Senate to approve the bill a third time — and could potentially create objections from Democrats who have insisted on putting new restrictions on immigration enforcement.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt on Monday urged lawmakers to fund the Department of Homeland Security after a gunman breached security at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner over the weekend.

The administration has repeatedly blamed Democrats in Congress for holding up DHS funding and again leveled that charge on Monday, saying “Democrats need to do what President Trump has been calling on them to do for 73 days in a row, and fund the Department of Homeland Security. She called the matter a “national emergency.”

“Every member of Congress needs to put their country over party, and get the Department of Homeland Security funded,” she added.

Saturday’s incident has fueled calls from Republicans and Trump administration officials to fund the DHS, which houses the Secret Service, one of the law enforcement agencies managing security for the event. Leavitt mentioned the need to prepare for events that will place additional strain on the agency in the months ahead, including the World Cup, America 250, the 2028 Olympics and the presidential election.

The congressional showdown over DHS funding amid resistance from Democrats that want more guardrails placed around immigration enforcement has dragged into its third month. DHS has been able to paper over some missed paychecks by repurposing some of the massive cash infusion the agency received as part of the GOP megalaw enacted last year, but even that has its limits — DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin said this month that his department will run out of money to pay employees’ salaries the first week of May.

President Donald Trump has demanded Republicans use the budget reconciliation process to fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol by June 1, after which Congress is expected to enact a bipartisan measure to fund remaining DHS operations and end the record-breaking shutdown.

Republican leadership is working to convince hold-outs to support a Senate budget plan to fund immigration enforcement, in part by promising another package filled with Republican priorities later on. Some House Republicans believe the shooting could push hesitant Republican lawmakers to temporarily abandon their frustrations and support the budget plan, especially amid increasing White House warnings about national security risks inherent in leaving the agency in a funding lurch.

Leavitt praised federal law enforcement’s response to Trump’s attempted assassination.

Law enforcement quickly took down the shooter before he made it into the ballroom of the Washington Hilton, where Trump, Vice President JD Vance, first lady Melania Trump and other dignitaries including members of the Cabinet were gathered for dinner. And Secret Service officers quickly removed the president and other top administration officials from the event space.

“The Secret Service is a vital component of DHS. It has been directly impacted by this reckless political gamesmanship,” Leavitt said. “Everyone in this room who was there on Saturday night witnessed the heroes of Secret Service and federal law enforcement jump into action in the face of grave danger and uncertainty.”

However, how the gunman was able to charge as far past law enforcement as he did — and his ability to bring weapons to the hotel — remains under scrutiny as federal officials examine security protocols for future events.