Representative Rashida Tlaib of Michigan has filed a proposal that would bar the use of any federal dollars to acquire or run automated mass-surveillance equipment. The measure specifically targets AI-enabled camera systems supplied by the company Flock, aiming to prevent taxpayer support for technologies that could monitor large groups of people without clear oversight.
Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri introduced a separate bill late last month that would set strict data-use limits on the deployment of such surveillance tools. In a related effort, Representative Pat Harrigan of North Carolina put forward legislation to curb the use of automated license-plate-reader systems by government agencies, although the full text of that proposal has not yet been released publicly.
A third proposal would apply to data-center and high-density computing sites that consume at least 20 megawatts of power. The bill’s sponsor argues that as data centers and artificial-intelligence workloads drive rising electricity demand, the firms benefiting from that growth must shoulder a fair share of the cost. “As data centers and artificial intelligence drive growing demand for electricity, we need to make sure the companies benefiting from that growth pay their fair share,” Vindman said in a statement.
Senator Bernie Moreno of Ohio introduced the RECLAIM Act, formally titled the Recapturing Excessive Corporate Largesse through Accountability and Incentive Measures. The legislation would bar both federal and state incentive programs from being applied to data-center projects, effectively removing tax credits, grants, or other subsidies that currently support the construction and operation of large-scale computing facilities.
Representatives Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington and Tom Barrett of Michigan unveiled a bipartisan effort to combat scams aimed at senior citizens. Their bill proposes a dedicated website and a round-the-clock reporting hotline to centralize complaints, mirroring a platform the Department of Veterans Affairs launched in 2024 to protect retired service members. Barrett, who chairs the House Veterans’ Affairs Technology Modernization Subcommittee, highlighted the need for a unified system to reduce fragmentation across agencies.