What the 120th Congress Could Be
As one of the largest freshman classes in decades heads to the 120th Congress, AI is reshaping the landscape: frontier models are advancing in math and encryption, OpenAI shelved a model it couldn’t see inside, DHS banned DeepSeek, and House Rules proposals target Congressional modernization.
Updated: Where the House and Senate Are on Internal Use of AI
A detailed overview of how the US House of Representatives and Senate are governing internal use of artificial intelligence, including a summary of current AI policies, approved tools, and key limitations on staff use.
The POPVOX Foundation Model
POPVOX Foundation’s nonpartisan model helps legislatures modernize from the inside out by recognizing problems, mapping pain points, proposing solutions, piloting them, and sharing lessons. Case studies include remote Congressional proceedings, Internapalooza, casework data systems, AI training for staff, and Congressional modernization efforts.
Reclaiming the First Branch: Eight House Rules Changes for the 120th Congress
Eight practical House Rules updates for the 120th Congress would modernize how the first branch works, strengthening Congressional capacity, evidence-based lawmaking, and oversight. By replacing language from the era of paper and stenography, the House can keep pace with fast-changing technology and serve constituents better.
Model Legislative Text: Giving Congress Standing Access to Program Data
POPVOX Foundation's draft legislative text gives Congressional committees, GAO, CBO, and CRS standing, automated access to federal program data. Drafters can add the modular provision to authorization or appropriations bills, requiring machine-readable data, unthrottled access, and annual agency compliance certifications to strengthen Congressional oversight.
AI’s Exponential Change and Riding the Wave
AI models are accelerating faster than staff can track, with AGI claims, agent swarms breaking sandbox limits, and new watermarking and data-retention rules reshaping the landscape. Congressional staff get practical context on these developments, plus guidance on vibe coding and POPVOX Foundation's upcoming Three Horizons vision for Congress.
The AI Industry Changed, Again.
Open-weight AI models from China and the US are closing the gap with frontier systems, autonomous AI cyberattacks are raising new security concerns, and the House launches an Innovators Pipeline for staff-built tools. State legislatures also confront capacity gaps in adopting AI responsibly.
POPVOX Foundation Launches H3: A Three Horizons Vision for Congress
POPVOX Foundation's Three Horizons Vision (H3) Project maps the gap between Congress' governing demands and its institutional capacity. An interactive microsite invites Members, staff, and civil society to classify reforms across three horizons and five domains, shaping a capable Legislative branch.
AI Is a New Input in Young People’s Career Calculus
AI is reshaping how young people weigh career decisions, but San Francisco and Washington calculate the risk differently. San Francisco channels AI anxiety into startup bets and Big Tech tradeoffs, while Washington treats it as another policy input shaping mission-driven work, prestige, and personal brand.
250 Years of Legislative Legacy
Legislative data modernization takes center stage alongside frontier AI model export controls, tips for avoiding LLM lock-in, using AI as a Congressional rules tutor, and roundups of tools, events, and research shaping technology adoption across Congress and legislatures worldwide today.
Lessons Being Learned with Fable
Anthropic's Fable 5 model was pulled from public access days after release when researchers found ways to bypass its safety guardrails, prompting Commerce Department export controls on Fable and Mythos. The episode highlights gaps in Congressional oversight of rapid AI policy decisions affecting national security.
Build your AI skills at AI Base Camp in Rayburn on June 2
Explore the differences between foundational and frontier AI models, the growing impact of token-based pricing, practical ways to build custom AI assistants, and how AI is lowering barriers to civic technology development. Plus, insights on emerging AI policy, governance, and adoption across public institutions.
Keeping Pace
Keeping Pace delivers practical, nonpartisan AI and technology insights for Congressional Members and staff. Each monthly issue breaks down fast-moving developments, explains real-world impacts on Congress, and offers actionable tips to build fluency — no vendor bias, no politics, just clear guidance to help institutions keep up.
What’s happening with AI and why should I care?
Congressional staff face a rapidly evolving AI landscape. This overview breaks down the Senate’s approval of tools like Copilot, Gemini, and ChatGPT Enterprise, explains emerging concepts such as agentic AI, and examines how AI is shaping campaigns, workflows, and constituent services.
POPVOX Foundation Appropriations Requests: A Focus on Future-Proofing, Constituent Services, Security, and the Member Experience
POPVOX Foundation submitted fiscal year 2027 appropriations requests to House Appropriations Committee Members focused on modernizing Congress and strengthening its capacity to serve constituents. Key proposals include responsible AI adoption, improved casework coordination, continued modernization funding, enhanced security training, and better support for Members, staff, and Congressional families.
The 2,800-Mile Gap
A widening cultural divide between San Francisco and Washington, DC reveals contrasting attitudes toward risk, innovation, and career advancement. These differences shape how technology evolves and how government responds, with implications for policymaking, institutional adaptation, and the future of democratic governance in a rapidly changing world.
The Call to Create the Congressional Capacity and Technology Office
As AI rapidly reshapes governance, Congress risks falling behind the institutions it oversees. POPVOX Foundation proposes creating the Congressional Capacity and Technology Office (C-TECH) to provide dedicated training, change management, and strategic tech support — strengthening Congress’s ability to oversee emerging technology effectively.
If I Can Use AI at Work, You Can Too
A firsthand look at using AI in everyday Congressional work (without coding or technical expertise!) including practical examples, safety considerations, and why responsible AI adoption can help staff work smarter and keep pace with rapid change.
The Year of "and Innovation": What the House Modernization Report Reveals About Congress' Next Phase
An analysis of the House Subcommittee on Modernization and Innovation’s 2025 year-end report and what it signals about Congress’s next phase. The report highlights a shift toward transparency, realistic goal-setting, and new initiatives — from AI adoption to procurement reform — that will shape whether Congress can keep pace with technology and public expectations.
Simply Having a Wonderful Congress-time
Wrapping up 2025 on Capitol Hill by highlighting a year of Congressional modernization, AI shaping the future of legislatures, new constituent service tools, and leadership transitions. Plus, holiday cheer, campus updates, and a look ahead to 2026’s big tech initiatives like the White House Genesis Mission and agentic AI at federal agencies.