A Salute to Hakeem Jeffries’ Wise AI Stand
By Paul Steidler: There are certain moments in American politics, like the race to beat the USSR to the moon or the need for vigilance after 9/11, that should transcend politics. The vast economic promises of AI and the benefits of a world where the U.S. leads this technology rather than China should, at its core, be a unifying issue for all U.S. elected officials.
Against the backdrop of today’s political tensions, it is encouraging to see House Minority Leader and Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries recently announce an AI Task Force for Democrats, with a focus on the benefits that AI can and should have for the American people.
In his December 9 press release about the launch “of a new House Democratic Commission on AI and the Innovation Economy,” Democratic Leader Jeffries spoke effusively about AI. He joins President Donald Trump and Democrat leaders such as Governors Gavin Newsom and Josh Shapiro, who have similarly been enthusiastic and are looking to rapidly build AI in their states.
Of particular note, Leader Jeffries said, “The brilliance and ingenuity of the innovation community has positioned America to lead the world in artificial intelligence and pioneer potentially life-changing breakthroughs in medicine and other fields of human endeavor that will benefit humanity. It is important that American companies continue to thrive in this area. At the same time, Congress must consider what policies are needed to prevent bad actors from exploiting this transformative technology and inflicting harm on the American people.”
This is a welcome tonic to the rise of sweeping AI criticism from Senator Bernie Sanders, who has called for a national moratorium on datacenter construction, which would significantly slow AI development. A recent study by the American Edge Project found that the Senator’s state, Vermont, has no new datacenters under construction or related jobs planned. Since 2019, Vermont has ranked in the bottom one-third of states for the growth rate in tech jobs.
Innovation is a winning issue for Democrats (and for all who embrace it), a June 2025 survey by Democratic consulting firm Global Strategy Group (GSG) found.
“Large majorities believe innovations from America’s technology industry have a positive impact on ‘strengthening America’s economy’ (68%), ‘creating more American jobs’ (66%), and ‘addressing inflation and helping to lower the cost of living’ (60%),” said GSG. “Huge majorities across party lines prefer a political figure who supports fostering tech innovation over one who supports restrictions on the tech industry.”
Leading the House Democratic Commission on AI are Caucus Chair Ted Lieu (CA-36), Rep. Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5), and Rep. Valerie Foushee (NC-4), who will serve as co-chairs.
The Commission certainly does not mean the end of contentious debates about AI. Yet, the announcement’s clear, strong recognition of AI’s benefits is important and refreshing, laying a positive foundation for prudent policymaking.