AI Schism in Washington
Bloomberg reports a growing split between tech and labor over AI policy, with both sides jockeying to set the rules in Washington—creating a political tug‑of‑war around AI’s future. That fight is already adding uncertainty around hiring, regulation and who ultimately defines acceptable AI deployment. (bloomberg.com)
The Hill & Valley Forum convened on March 24, 2026 in Washington, D.C., bringing senior executives from OpenAI, Palantir and other tech firms together with business leaders such as Jamie Dimon, per the event organizer and Bloomberg coverage. (prnewswire.com)) Two days later, the AFL‑CIO ran a "Workers First" AI summit in a D.C. hotel ballroom with AFL‑CIO President Liz Shuler scheduled to deliver the keynote and Symone Sanders Townsend listed as emcee on the public agenda. (workersfirstai.org)) A Bloomberg review of federal filings found the biggest tech and AI companies spent $109 million on federal lobbying in 2025, marking the first time that cohort topped $100 million. (bloomberg.com)) Bloomberg Government tallied nearly $130 million in AI‑related lobbying for the full year, while advocacy tracker OpenLobby reports $199.2 million in lobbying by six leading tech firms through February 2026. (hrexecutive.com)) The tech sector’s political push includes the super‑PAC network "Leading the Future," which had raised more than $125 million by January 2026 to back pro‑AI candidates in the 2026 midterms, according to Axios. (axios.com)) The White House released a National Policy Framework for Artificial Intelligence on March 20, 2026 that urges a "light‑touch" federal approach and explicitly recommends preempting conflicting state AI laws. (whitehouse.gov)) Labor’s pressure has produced legislative traction on other fronts: the House voted to pass the Protect America’s Workforce Act on December 11, 2025 to restore collective bargaining rights for federal employees, as recorded on Congress.gov. (federalnewsnetwork.com))
