Artificial Intelligence and American Power: Leadership, Security, and Prosperity

This GOP Oversight roundtable held on April 17, 2026, focused on the strategic importance of artificial intelligence (AI) for American economic and national security leadership. The discussion emphasized the need for the United States to accelerate AI infrastructure development, including data centers and computing capacity, to compete with China, which is aggressively advancing its AI capabilities. Panelists from industry, academia, and policy organizations highlighted AI's transformative impact on manufacturing, agriculture, defense, and workforce development, underscoring the importance of federal support for AI training programs, flexible workforce policies, and regulatory clarity. The conversation also addressed challenges such as energy infrastructure constraints for data centers, the risks of fragmented state-level AI regulations, and the need for national AI standards and governance frameworks. Several speakers advocated for federal preemption of state AI laws to avoid a patchwork regulatory environment, while others stressed the importance of transparency, bias mitigation, and human oversight in AI deployment, especially within federal agencies. The roundtable also touched on procurement-related topics including the Stargate Initiative to build AI infrastructure, the role of public-private partnerships, and the need for investment in AI safety research and workforce transition programs. Concerns about espionage, supply chain risks, and the ethical use of AI in defense were raised, alongside calls for Congress to enact legislation that balances innovation with responsible AI governance and energy policy to support AI growth.