Lawler, Gottheimer Push for Bipartisan AI Safeguards at Capitol Hill Press Conference

Washington, D.C. – 9/17/26… Today, Congressman Mike Lawler (NY-17)  and Josh Gottheimer (NJ-05) held a bipartisan press conference to highlight their Stop Rogue AI Act , legislation that would direct the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to develop national standards, guidelines, and best practices for discovering, verifying, monitoring, and controlling AI agents. WATCH: LAWLER, GOTTHEIMER PUSH FOR BIPARTISAN AI SAFEGUARDS AT CAPITOL HILL PRESS CONFERENCE The legislation comes as AI agents become increasingly capable of acting autonomously, with recent incidents highlighting concerns about AI systems accessing external networks and taking actions beyond their intended scope. “This isn’t about stopping AI or stifling innovation. It is about making sure we can safely deploy AI. A pause is not a safeguard. Some states have put a moratorium on the infrastructure that powers this technology. That does not invent a kill switch. It does not inventory the agents already on a hospital network or a utility system,” said Congressman Lawler. “If the United States taps the brakes while others floor it, we do not get safer AI. We get someone else’s AI. We are not going to regulate ourselves into second place,” concluded Congressman Lawler. “Our bill gives basically a driver’s license to every AI agent operating in this country. It tells NIST, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, get in a room and set standards so organizations can find every agent on their network, verify who built it, who’s running it, watch it in real time for anything suspicious, and cut off its access the second something looks wrong. That’s what putting people back in the driver’s seat looks like,” said Congressman Gottheimer. The bill would also require federal agencies and contractors to incorporate these safeguards into how they procure and deploy AI, with NIST and CISA coordinating with existing cybersecurity guidance. Reps. Lawler and Gottheimer have also worked together on a broader bipartisan AI agenda focused on preparing American workers for an AI-driven economy, protecting consumers, strengthening national security, and maintaining American technological leadership. These include: H.R. 7576, the AI Workforce Training Act , which provides businesses with a tax credit for qualifying AI workforce training. H.R. 9318, the National Security Commission Quantum Computing Act , which establishes an independent commission to evaluate advancements in quantum computing and make recommendations for maintaining U.S. technological leadership. H.R. 9585, the Advancing American Quantum Leadership Act , which expands the definition of quantum technology under the Export-Import Bank’s China and Transformational Exports Program. B-ROLL: Video content from today can be found HERE. PHOTOS: Pictures from today can be found HERE. VIDEO: Remarks from today can be found HERE. Congressman Lawler is one of the most bipartisan members of Congress and represents New York's 17th Congressional District, which is just north of New York City and contains all or parts of Rockland, Putnam, Dutchess, and Westchester Counties. He was rated the most effective freshman lawmaker in the 118th Congress, 8th overall, surpassing dozens of committee chairs. ###