Congress
The Democrat who thinks she can land an AI deal with Republicans
As Democrats struggle to come up with a plan to regulate artificial intelligence, one member of Congress has a high-risk idea: talk to the opposition.
Rep. Lori Trahan of Massachusetts, a four-term lawmaker and member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, has been involved in conversations around the emerging technology for some time.
In the last three weeks, however, Trahan has gotten more serious about clinching a bipartisan accord. That includes meeting privately with Rep. Jay Obernolte of California, a Republican who also serves on the committee and has long held an interest in AI policy and has deep ties to the tech industry.
Her decision to carve out this partnership without the explicit blessing of her party leaders — who are instead encouraging a small group of Democrats to pursue a separate, partisan track — is already raising eyebrows.
“There’s a big difference between putting a stake in the ground on tech, and making it clear that you’re serious on tech, and undermining the caucus’s position on AI,” said a senior congressional Democrat who was granted anonymity to speak candidly due to the sensitive nature of ongoing AI negotiations.
In an interview last week, Trahan said her engagement was a no-brainer.
“I think it’s not a mystery what I’m fighting for in these conversations,” she said. “Safety is paramount; our kids, our national security, innovation. … We think the moment requires it.”
But Trahan’s gambit is no sure bet. If she can strike a viable agreement with Obernolte, she will have proven that she has the political savvy ideal for an aspiring leader: She’s a co-chair of the House Democratic messaging arm and isn’t ruling out a bid for a promotion in the next Congress. If she can’t clinch a deal — or worse, if she signs off on something her fellow Democrats think gives too much away — she could alienate members of her own party in Washington and back home.
Democrats have been struggling to define where they stand on AI for months amid competing priorities. If they move to put more guardrails on AI companies, they could face retaliation from deep-pocketed, pro-AI super PACs. If they let these companies proceed unchecked, progressives warn it could put the party out of step with voters concerned about lost jobs, the energy consumption associated with data centers and infringements on personal privacy.
Trahan said Democrats can’t afford to wait or retreat: “Suppose there is a catastrophic event or suppose there is a disruption to an employer where people are laid off because you weren’t at the table, we weren’t having these conversations,” she said. “Like, how do I look folks back in the eye and say, ‘Oh yeah, we were just waiting until we had the gavels.’”
As she works with Obernotle, Trahan insisted she has sought input from fellow Democrats and received recommendations, but not “pushback.” She added she is approaching discussions with “humility” and considers herself a “team player” in the caucus.
Her caucus, however, is consumed with its own deliberations. Rep. Ted Lieu of California, the No. 4 Democratic leader, is helping lead a “House Democratic Commission on AI and the Innovation Economy,” convened by House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.
With Reps. Josh Gottheimer of New Jersey and Valerie Foushee of North Carolina serving as co-chairs, the commission is currently working to come up with an AI regulatory framework Democrats can own and campaign on ahead of the midterms — all but spurning conversations with Republicans and distancing themselves from Trahan’s efforts.
“I know very little about what she and Obernotle are discussing. I have not been read in,” Lieu said in an interview. “We’re focused on building a framework for Leader Jeffries before the end of the year on what Democrats should focus on after we flip the House.”
“But members can do whatever they want,” he continued. “I haven’t followed [Trahan] — I literally have no idea what language even looks like or if they’ve even talked about language.”
In a potentially awkward situation depending on what comes of Trahan’s efforts, Lieu expects to become House Democratic Caucus chair in the next Congress — and Trahan is one of a handful of members angling for the vice chair slot Lieu now holds.
Regarding her leadership ambitions, Trahan said that “if there’s an opportunity for me to continue at the leadership table, I would love to have that conversation.”
Jeffries, asked about her AI pursuits, said in a brief interview, “I haven’t talked to Lori Trahan about it.”
Trahan is also taking a gamble by entering into high-stakes policy talks with a Republican who doesn’t have a great track record of landing deals with Democrats.
Lieu ran an AI policy task force with Obernolte in the previous Congress, and they introduced legislation earlier this year that would improve standards, invest in workforce development programs and deter harmful deepfakes. That bill has gone nowhere.
Meanwhile, Rep. Sam Liccardo (D-Calif.) engaged in his own series of talks with Obernolte earlier this year that likewise failed to bear fruit.
“We’re all interested in trying to find a framework that makes sense,” Liccardo said in an interview. “Jay is open-minded, but he has constraints on his side of the aisle, and it makes it very difficult to find openness.”
Trahan and Obernolte have declined to publicly discuss specific policies that are under consideration in their discussions, with Obernolte not even wanting to divulge he was working with Trahan on anything related to AI: “I am neither confirming or denying that I am talking to her,” he said in an interview.
Trahan, in contrast, said, “I’ve been very happy to work with Jay. … I like the way the conversations are progressing, and, you know, I’m hopeful that we can share something soon.”
They could run into problems. Obernolte has consistently pushed for replacing existing state laws on AI with an overarching federal framework. That’s a more moderate approach than banning states from making their own AI rules without any federal guardrails — which is favored by GOP leadership — but it remains anathema to many Democrats.
Earlier this month, people familiar with Trahan and Obernolte’s talks said a potential deal would involve preempting AI safety laws like those in California and New York that require top AI developers to disclose information about new models to identify security risks.
That potential trajectory prompted alarm from blue state legislators, including in Trahan’s home state, where a data center boom has rattled locals worried about job losses, higher energy prices and environmental impacts.
Last month, Massachusetts State Sen. Michael Moore and State Rep. Tricia Farley-Bouvier wrote to Trahan that while they aren’t opposed to a federal framework, they don’t want to undermine existing state laws, such as on data privacy.
Trahan declined to rule out that state preemption is on the table in her talks with Obernolte but she said her subsequent conversation with Moore and Farley-Bouvier was “productive,” with the three of them “aligned on our values in terms of making sure we hold the line on safety.”
Moore, in an interview, echoed Trahan’s characterization of their phone call, but added he hadn’t yet seen a draft of her proposal and warned that he didn’t necessarily trust the Trump administration to implement it responsibly.
This isn’t Trahan’s first politically fraught policy fight. She recently said she tried to negotiate with Republicans on the so-called SCORE Act, which would among other things preempt a patchwork of state laws governing how student athletes are paid.
She wanted to help land a bipartisan bill that would level the playing field for everyone — what she calls her guiding principle in AI talks. But Trahan eventually walked away when GOP leaders decided to pursue a partisan path, culminating in a canceled floor vote on the measure last week.
As for why she thinks bipartisan AI negotiations might be different, Trahan suggested it could, if nothing else, come down to stamina.
“The stakes are too high for us to rush it,” she said, “and they’re too high for us to get it wrong.”
Gabby Miller and Brendan Bordelon contributed to this report.
President Donald Trump said early Saturday he would push to get the $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization fund” codified into law if the Senate does not confirm his attorney general pick, Todd Blanche.
The fund has emerged as a key issue stalling Blanche’s confirmation, with Sens. John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), who are both departing the Senate after the midterms, withholding their support in the Senate Judiciary Committee unless the White House commits to shelving the proposal in writing.
Now, Trump says the fund is back on the table, and maybe he’ll even keep Blanche on in an acting capacity if he can’t get his way in Congress next week.
“If Senators Cornyn and Tillis, both upset because I wouldn’t Endorse them (they lost, and quit, respectively!), aren’t going to approve Todd Blanche, one of the most respected professionals, according to everybody, in the Country, to be the United States Attorney General, then I will keep Todd as Acting A.G., and push hard to get the Anti-Weaponization Bill, which takes care of those who have been so badly treated by the Crooked Joe Biden (and Obuma!) Administration (I get nothing, although I was treated horribly!), PASSED,” he wrote.
“Todd Blanche was a voice of reason!” Trump wrote. “It will immediately be back on the table, and I will get it done.”
The missive comes a day after Trump reluctantly declared the fund “dead” in a Cabinet meeting at Camp David, making Saturday’s post a notable reversal in tactics as he moves from a negotiating posture to digging his heels in.
The fund stems from a settlement negotiated earlier this year that envisioned roughly $1.8 billion being doled out in payments to people who claimed they were unfairly targeted by the federal government during the Biden administration, which could include everyone from people who broke into the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, and assaulted police officers to Hunter Biden.
The Justice Department has since indicated it does not intend to move forward with the payments, with Blanche testifying before a congressional committee in June, “We’re not moving forward with the fund, period.”
But Tillis on Saturday wrote that the president’s latest social media barb was proof that he “clearly intends to resurrect the payout pot for punks either by inappropriately establishing another bogus fund or pushing Congress to vote for a bill that the majority of Republicans in the Senate would be against.”
“It’s unfortunate that Todd Blanche, who I consider qualified for the job, will not be confirmed because of this reversal,” the two-term North Carolina senator wrote.
But he teased that a deal may not yet be out of reach: “Hopefully, we can resolve this by Tuesday.”
Public scrutiny of domestic abuse allegations against Rep. Max Miller is quickly mounting. His Republican colleagues have been slow to respond.
New reporting on government documents claiming that Miller poured hot water on his ex-wife, Emily Moreno, held a gun to her head and broke their young daughter’s collarbone has brought a wave of new attention to the Ohio lawmaker’s long-running public marital dispute. This week, Moreno’s lawyer filed for a restraining order against Miller, accusing him of harassing his ex-wife’s counsel.
The surge of attention presents a dilemma for Republicans: speak out against their colleague who is running in a competitive race or face accusations of hypocrisy after hammering multiple similarly scandal-plagued Democrats — including Graham Platner, who recently ended his Maine Senate campaign, and Eric Swalwell, who resigned his House seat in April.
Miller, like Platner and Swalwell, denies any wrongdoing. And so far, those fellow Republicans have been largely silent. A host of prominent GOP leaders nationally and in Ohio either declined to comment or did not respond to inquiries from Blue Light News.
Keeping quiet and hoping for the best could be a risky strategy. Nonpartisan handicappers at the Cook Political Report have already upped Democrats’ chances to take the Cleveland-area seat, and House Democratic campaign brass is bullish about Miller’s opponent, ironworker Brian Poindexter, who has for months raised the abuse claims against the incumbent.
“These are serious allegations and deserve the full attention of law enforcement,” Poindexter said in a statement this week. “If all the allegations against Congressman Miller prove to be true, Max Miller should be in jail, not worried about retaining a seat in Congress.”
Even before the latest allegations were published by Mother Jones, which have not been independently confirmed by Blue Light News, Miller sued his ex-wife and her legal team for defamation. He argued that they made “false, malicious, and defamatory statements wrongly accusing [him] of being a violent and abusive husband and father.”
Miller’s campaign spokesperson said in a statement “this narrative has gone on long enough.”
“The facts speak for themselves: the court has continued to permit him joint custody of his child. If there were credible evidence supporting these outrageous accusations, that simply would not be the case,” the spokesperson, Abigail Angelos, said. “Congressman Miller will continue to vigorously defend his reputation against false and reckless allegations designed to inflame public opinion rather than reflect reality.”
A spokesperson for Moreno, Stefan Mychajliw, referred to the recent restraining order filing said in a statement: “There is a demonstrable pattern of repeated violent and dangerous behavior and the filing speaks for itself.”
Republicans are approaching a potential make-or-break moment next week: Aug. 5 is the last day to replace Miller on the ballot, and at least some in the party are quietly raising alarms with the House majority potentially teetering on just a few competitive seats.
One GOP operative granted anonymity to speak candidly accused some fellow Republicans of “burying their heads in the sand” and called the situation “Graham Platner on steroids.”
“What happens when Democrats run ad after ad targeting GOP voters about Miller abusing the daughter of a pro-Trump MAGA senator?” the person said. “What does that do to GOP turnout? How does that affect our candidates at the top of the ticket who are already in tough races?”
Moreno is the daughter of Republican Sen. Bernie Moreno, who has said little about the unfolding legal battle.
“Senator Moreno’s top priority is the safety and well-being of his daughter and granddaughter. While he does not litigate these matters in the media or respond to baseless public attacks, he will do whatever it takes to ensure a just outcome for his family,” Reagan McCarthy, a spokesperson for the senator, said.
Other prominent Ohio Republicans also did not respond to requests for comment made through spokespeople, including Sen. Jon Husted, governor nominee Vivek Ramaswamy and Vice President JD Vance.
Before Miller’s election to Congress in 2022, he worked for President Donald Trump doing advance work. He is a mainstay of the MAGA universe, with deep personal ties to many of his House GOP colleagues — despite his outspoken criticism of Speaker Mike Johnson. Miller also previously faced accusations from former White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham, which he has denied through an attorney.
The drumbeat of allegations about Miller has put some of his House colleagues in an awkward position. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) said she knows both Miller and Moreno “personally,” noting that she had a joint baby shower with Moreno hosted by former Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
“What I hate about this entire situation is that these articles the press are putting out have been very nasty especially with accusations and it is only hurting one person… their daughter. I do not know Max to be a violent person and have only ever found him to be incredibly kind and honorable,” Luna said in a text message.
She added, “I will also not disparage Emily. She comes from a wonderful family and Senator Moreno is one of the best in the Senate. I think this divorce has been incredibly painful for both parties involved and would ask the press to consider those facts.”
One Republican lawmaker, outgoing Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina, called the allegations against Miller “horrific.”
“They must be investigated, and if true, he should resign immediately,” she said in a statement.
Several Democrats, including the leadership of the Democratic Women’s Caucus, have also said that the House Ethics Committee must open an investigation into Miller.
“The recent reports of domestic violence and child abuse against Representative Max Miller are deeply disturbing and Congress can’t ignore them,” the leaders of the caucus, Reps. Teresa Leger Fernández of New Mexico, Emilia Sykes of Ohio and Hillary Scholten of Michigan, said in a joint statement. “Allegations of violence against women and children have to be met with the utmost seriousness.”
Johnson has also deferred to the Ethics Committee, which has not announced any action regarding Miller. The independent Office of Congressional Conduct also declined to comment on the allegations and whether they would be investigating it.
The speaker was asked last week why Republicans allow Miller and Rep. Cory Mills of Florida, who has also faced domestic abuse allegations, in their conference— especially after Democrats dumped Platner following a sexual assault accusation first reported by Blue Light News. Mills, like Miller, has denied wrongdoing.
Johnson responded that “the key word there is allegation.”
“We have a process here,” Johnson told reporters at a news conference. “I’m not in the business of commenting on investigations as they’re in process, and we’ll see how that shakes out.”
But waiting for the results of a potentially years-long Ethics investigation might not cut it for Republicans who are under 100 days out from the midterms. The abuse allegations have handed Democrats an emotional campaign talking point, and created difficult questions for Miller’s fellow Republicans.
Rep. Jim Jordan, perhaps the most prominent Ohio Republican in Congress, brushed off questions about Miller during a Thursday CNN interview, calling it a “family matter.”
“I know Max is a good man. I was up campaigning for him, I hope he wins reelection,” Jordan said in the interview. “He’s done a good job as a member of Congress, and we should all pray for his family. These are all difficult times that they’re going through, we understand that. These kinds of situations always are.”
The GOP operative said Republicans “can expect a lot more awkward moments like Jim Jordan on BLN so long as Miller is serving in Congress.”
House Majority PAC, a well-financed super PAC aligned with Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, isn’t shying from the situation. Already the PAC has spent over $1 million in the Cleveland media market, and spokesperson CJ Warnke said HMP is “willing to do whatever it takes to take back the House, and nothing is off the table.”
“Democrats are expanding the map deeper into Trump territory by the day, and Brian Poindexter will defeat the scandal plagued Max Miller,” he said.
Meredith Lee Hill contributed to this report.
Senate Judiciary Chair Chuck Grassley rescheduled a planned vote on Todd Blanche’s nomination as attorney general late Friday in a preemptive move as negotiations between the Trump administration and GOP holdouts continue.
The vote, now set for Tuesday after a scheduled Thursday vote was postponed, isn’t an indication that a deal allowing for Blanche’s confirmation is near, so much as it is a nod to Judiciary Committee rules that require three days of notice for a panel meeting.
There is no sign that President Donald Trump is about to acquiesce to the unflinching demands of Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), who wants a controversial settlement agreement between Trump and the IRS substantially pared back.
Cornyn, who lost his primary to a Trump-endorsed candidate, wants the Justice Department to nullify a $1.8 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund” and limit the scope of a tax audit immunity component of the pact.
Trump told reporters earlier Friday the fund is “dead” but added “I wish it weren’t.”
“I’d like to see them compensated,” he added, referring to people he considers victims of government abuse, including participants in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack.
To advance Tuesday, Blanche needs to pick up Cornyn and Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), another senator on the panel with similar concerns. He can’t lose any GOP votes if he wants to be reported favorably out of the Judiciary Committee.
“Chairman Grassley wants Todd Blanche’s nomination to be successful,” said a Judiciary Committee spokesperson, who declined to be named. “Noticing the markup gives more time for the White House to secure the votes for the President’s nominee. Grassley would like to see Blanche confirmed before the August recess as he has an excellent record restoring law and order and keeping Americans safe.”
- Kansas’ data center boom is shaking up the governor’s race
- Congress ended surprise medical bills — doctors and insurers hate it
- Trump puts his ‘anti-weaponization fund’ back on the table
- ‘Platner on steroids’: Max Miller abuse claims have Republicans silently sweating
- It might take ‘a lightning bolt from God’ to get these Senate Democratic hopefuls to bow for independents
- Blanche vote is rescheduled, but there’s no deal
- Reflecting pool damage was the result of botched work, not vandals, DOJ says
- Pentagon ends leadership of Ukraine aid group as US distances from Europe
- New disclosures reveal $9M in corporate donations to Trump’s Freedom 250
- Oil industry warns refining limits could keep energy prices high
-
The Josh Fourrier Show2 years agoDOOMSDAY: Trump won, now what?
-
Politics1 year agoFormer ‘Squad’ members launching ‘Bowman and Bush’ YouTube show
-
The Dictatorship1 year agoLuigi Mangione acknowledges public support in first official statement since arrest
-
Uncategorized2 years ago
Bob Good to step down as Freedom Caucus chair this week
-
Politics1 year agoFormer Kentucky AG Daniel Cameron launches Senate bid
-
The Dictatorship1 year agoPete Hegseth’s tenure at the Pentagon goes from bad to worse
-
Politics1 year agoBlue Light News’s Editorial Director Ryan Hutchins speaks at Blue Light News’s 2025 Governors Summit
-
The Dictatorship11 months agoMike Johnson sums up the GOP’s arrogant position on military occupation with two words