Cyber Monday? More like Tech Hearing Tuesday!

State of Play

Congress is back in Washington following the Thanksgiving recess with a jam packed schedule.
Federal funding deadlines are off the table (for now) leaving only a handful of other must-pass priorities before the end of 2025 including the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).

NDAA language is expected to drop this week, and the tech industry is waiting to see if another bite at a state AI moratorium will be included.
Some House Republicans are looking to include an AI regulation moratorium in the NDAA, but resistance is coming from both the left and right, teeing up a brawl when it makes its way to the floor.
President Trump has also backed a federal preemption of state AI laws, and has been teasing an executive order as well.

Will the House Move on Kids’ Online Safety?: The House Energy and Commerce Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade Subcommittee is holding its highly anticipated hearing Tuesday on 19 different kids online safety bills including the Kids’ Online Safety Act (KOSA) and the Children and Teen’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA 2.0).

The primary fight will be around the House version of KOSA, which removes the “duty of care” provision in the Senate version. This will be a sticking point with many KOSA supporters and it is yet to be seen if that opposition stops the progress.
The House version also includes provisions for federal law to preempt state laws, which remains another major concern for Democrats.
The witnesses represent tech trade association groups, and will also touch on bills related to age verification as well as app-store verification rules.

AI Fuels US-China Competition: The Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on East Asia, The Pacific, and International Cybersecurity Policy will be looking for updates on the state of the US’s AI leadership over China in a hearing Tuesday.

The hearing follows in the wake of President Trump’s new executive order, “Launching the Genesis Mission,” to accelerate US AI frontier discovery. The EO directs the Department of Energy to lead on uniting the nation’s emerging research capabilities and combining scientific data into one coordinated national AI research platform.
Witnesses coming from several think tanks and trade associations are expected to discuss the US’s current posture against China on AI development, as well as how the Administration’s actions could impact competition.

Network Cybersecurity Takes Center Stage: Commerce Committees in both chambers will be holding hearings Tuesday on cybersecurity, taking at look the security of US communications networks and energy grids.

The Senate Commerce Telecommunications and Media Subcommittee will be looking for insight into the evolving threats security vulnerabilities facing communications networks. Witnesses mainly come from the telecom industry including USTelecom and Comtech, as well as academia and former FCC officials.
The House Energy and Commerce Energy Subcommittee will take a close look at the safety and security of America’s electrical grids, both cyber and physical threats. With a heavy focus on grid integrity and capacity with the rise of AI data centers, Members are expected to focus on impacts to grid vulnerabilities and what Congress can do to ensure grid security without compromising US AI leadership.

The Senate Commerce Communications Subcommittee holds a hearing on America’s Communications networks - Tuesday, December 2 at 10:00 AM EST
The House Energy and Commerce Energy Subcommittee holds a hearing on Grid Cybersecurity - Tuesday, December 2 at 10:00 AM EST
The House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade holds a hearing on Online Safety - Tuesday, December 2 at 10:15 AM EST
The Senate Foreign Relations Asia Subcommittee holds a hearing to examine China's challenge to American AI leadership - Tuesday, December 2 at 2:30 PM EST
The House Ways and Means Tax Subcommittee holds a hearing on Promoting Global Competitiveness for American Workers and Businesses - Wednesday, December 3 at 9:00 AM EST