CONGRESS

Enable IC Partnerships Act

• Sen. James Lankford (R-OK) said, “Innovation is key to protecting America’s cybersecurity and national security. As adversaries from across the globe attempt to undermine the United States, our intelligence community needs to be prepared with the technology, training, and programs to stay one step ahead.” (Press release)

• Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) said, “Artificial Intelligence, machine learning, and data sciences are on pace to revolutionize intelligence gathering and analysis. Through IC partnerships with federal lending agencies like DOD’s Office of Strategic Capital and fostering greater IC public-private partnerships, we can better equip collectors and analysts with the tools to meet workforce demand and strengthen our national security.” (Press release)

• Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) said, “As Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, I’m acutely aware of the challenges our Intelligence Community faces to combat the threats posed by our adversaries. As our adversaries rapidly advance their technological capabilities, it’s crucial that we streamline our processes in order to keep up. This legislation would help give the IC the support, funding, and flexibility needed better protect our national security.” (Press release)

• Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) said, “Our intelligence community is stronger when they’re given the tools needed to anticipate national security threats. This bipartisan effort will make it easier for our intelligence agencies to leverage partnerships to secure state-of-the-art technology and talent, ensuring the U.S. maintains an edge over adversaries.” (Press release)

Miscellaneous

• Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) delivered remarks on the Senate floor on “Senate Republicans Walking Away from Negotiations on Bipartisan AI Legislation,” stating, “…no matter how difficult it may be, my commitment to members in both chambers remains steadfast – I will work with anyone, regardless of party, to get meaningful, sustainable, and transformational AI done. Transformational because of what AI could do, to cure heart disease, to educate young people around the globe, to deal with our climate crisis. And sustainable so that we have guardrails that prevent AI, if some bad force, whether it’s a country or rogue group get hold of it, we prevent them from doing bad things and keep AI sustainable. We must get both done. Our outline and our work are a good step in that direction. We must continue to move forward.” (Remarks)

• Schumer tweeted, “For over a year, I’ve worked with Senators of both parties to find a way forward on bipartisan AI legislation. But Senate Republicans have chosen to walk away. If we want America to lead the world in innovation—we can’t turn a blind eye to AI. I won’t walk away from AI talks.”

• Schumer also tweeted, “Today, I’ll meet with the President-elect’s nominee for Commerce Secretary—Howard Lutnick of NY It’s vital the next Commerce Secretary is willing to build on progress from the last few years and ensure the US out-competes the Chinese Communist Party on AI, semiconductors, & more”

• Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) published a press release calling for the FBI, DHS, and FAA to brief the public on reports of unidentified drone sightings, saying, “New Jersey cannot become the wild west for drone activity — and Americans shouldn’t have to worry about what’s flying overhead, especially as technology like AI advances at an unprecedented clip.” (Press release) 

• Senate Select Committee on Intelligence Chair Mark Warner (D-VA) released a statement on Open AI’s new safeguards against malicious misuse of AI products, stating, “I’m pleased to see OpenAI heed my call for additional safeguards as it releases powerful new features like video generation – including specific measures I have advocated for, including adding new detection mechanisms for violative outputs, clear mechanisms to identify and catalogue synthetic content, and public-facing reporting mechanisms for victims of impersonation campaigns and other Terms of Service violations to seek redress. Ultimately the efficacy of these new policies will be measured in the kinds of resources OpenAI invests in enforcing them, but I appreciate these new steps.” (Press release)

• Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) published an op-ed on AL.com saying, “AI is no longer something on the horizon, a thing of the future. AI is here, and here to stay. The implications of its introduction to the world will be massive. Conservatives shouldn’t shy away from it. We should embrace the possibilities that this technology can create for future generations. But we must make sure that our students know how to use it appropriately. Let’s give our kids a better world than we had, by giving them the tools, knowledge, and technology needed to succeed.” (Op-ed)

• Tuberville tweeted a link to his op-ed, saying, “AI learning tools cannot be a substitute for our children’s education – it should be used to aid their education.”

• Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) tweeted, “Big Tech companies have the ability and manpower to remove content almost instantaneously. It took 9 months for Elliston Berry’s AI deep-fake to be removed. The TAKE IT DOWN Act will force social media companies and similar websites to comply with users requests to remove nonconsensual imagery. The House must pass this important legislation before the new Congress.”

• Cruz also tweeted, “It shouldn’t take 9 months and a call from a sitting US Senator to remove AI deep-fake nude images from a social media platform of a 14 year old girl. Elliston Berry is the reason we introduced and passed the bipartisan TAKE IT DOWN Act. Nobody should ever have to experience what Elliston went through.”

• Cruz also tweeted, “Reports of AI deepfake explicit images have skyrocketed in the last year. 95% of internet deepfakes depict non-consensual intimate imagery — with the vast majority targeting women and girls. Congress must act and put the TAKE IT DOWN Act on the President’s desk.”

• Rep. French Hill (R-AR) said, “Fintech should be able to partner with banks in a safe and sound way and allow their knowledge of AI or fintech applications to either find new customers or serve customers better or do compliance in a more effective way,” Hill said. “That ought to be available to small- and medium-sized and regional banks, because that will make them more competitive.” (PoliticoPro)

• Sen. Mike Rounds (R-SD) tweeted, “Congratulations to Rep French Hill on his selection to be the next House Financial Services Committee Chair! Looking forward to continuing our work together on financial services issues – especially getting the Unleashing AI Innovation in Financial Services Act into law. Good things to come!”

• Rep. Tom Kean (R-NJ) tweeted, “Today I sent letters to the CEOs of major U.S. AI companies, urging them to take immediate action to address serious security breaches including data leaks and unauthorized access by foreign actors. These lapses threaten not only our technological leadership but also national security. It is crucial they take the necessary steps to secure their systems and protect user data from future threats. This will ensure we foster a culture of safety, security, and trust across the U.S. AI sector.”

• Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) tweeted a Washington Post article and commented, “The DeptofDefense awards billions in AI and cloud computing contracts to a few huge companies. All our eggs are in one giant Silicon Valley basket. My new bill ensures that DoD is making good deals that keep our data secure and our government resilient.”

• Rep. Yvette Clarke (D-NY) tweeted, “While SORA’s possibilities are exciting, its terrifying power to create unprecedentedly deceptive disinformation must be the focus of any conversation on this new AI tool. The pursuit of progress cannot overshadow our duty to American lives, our democracy, and truth itself.”

• Financial Services GOP tweeted, “The CFPB’s eleventh-hour final rule governing overdraft fees is a bad faith attempt to extend its authority based on faulty economics and threatens to harm the very consumers the agency is tasked with protecting. This is the latest in a series of last-minute efforts to assert the agency’s influence even as other regulators have vowed to halt rulemakings in anticipation of the coming administration. Today, Director Chopra showed why he is not fit to lead the CFPB into 2025.”

• House Financial Services Chair Patrick McHenry (R-NC) retweeted Financial Services GOP and commented, “An order to supervise Google, a proposed rule on data brokers, and now this. Director Chopra shows no signs of stopping his runaway regulatory agenda that ignores sound economics and harms consumers–despite Americans rejecting this Administration at the ballot box.”

• Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA) tweeted, “Had a great meeting with Dexcom to discuss the future of AI in continuous glucose monitors and the importance of device interoperability.”

• Rep. Ben Cline (R-VA) tweeted, “China’s latest cyberattack on U.S. telecoms directly undermines our national security and threatens the privacy of all Americans. We must stand firm against the CCP’s aggression and protect Americans’ data.”

About Zero One Strategies

Zero One Strategies is a boutique government relations practice dedicated to navigating the complex landscape of U.S. federal policy in emerging technologies. As advancements in technology continue to outpace regulatory frameworks, Zero One Strategies aims to provide strategic guidance and bipartisan advocacy for innovators and businesses operating at the forefront of technological development.

The practice focuses on key areas such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, decentralized technologies, cybersecurity, data, and digital infrastructure, as well as the multiple policy issues impacting these sectors, including tax and financial services.