Virginia Governor Spanberger Pushes Congress for Federal AI Rules

Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger is calling on Congress to create comprehensive federal regulations for artificial intelligence, warning that individual states lack the authority and resources to manage the technology's far-reaching risks.

In a letter sent September 22 to congressional leadership—including House Speaker Mike Johnson, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer—Spanberger argued that AI's rapid development threatens jobs, privacy, and public infrastructure if oversight remains primarily with the companies building the technology.

"The federal government needs to play a much larger role in regulating this emerging technology to ensure its safe development and the protection of people and their livelihoods," Spanberger stated. She emphasized that AI's potential impacts are too significant to leave regulation solely to private entities, particularly when technology executives themselves have raised alarms about uncoordinated oversight.

Why it matters

The push for federal AI standards comes as states implement their own divergent policies on privacy, workforce protection, and data center operations. Without coordinated national rules, businesses face compliance complexity across jurisdictions, while gaps in state-level authority may leave critical risks unaddressed—from algorithmic bias in hiring to the environmental impact of AI infrastructure.

State-level efforts fill the void

Spanberger has already launched Virginia's response through Executive Order 22, which established a State AI Task Force focused on workforce displacement, data privacy, and cybersecurity threats. She also announced what she described as "the most comprehensive and aggressive data center accountability effort in the country," addressing the physical infrastructure powering AI systems.

The governor acknowledged that states are moving forward within their limited jurisdictions precisely because federal action has stalled. California, New York, New Jersey, and Illinois have all advanced their own AI policies in recent months.

Bipartisan momentum in Congress

Spanberger's letter aligns with efforts by Representative Don Beyer of Alexandria, who co-chairs Congress's bipartisan Caucus on Artificial Intelligence. On September 16, Beyer led a group of 10 House members in pressing federal leaders to address AI risks, according to WRIC, which first reported the governor's letter.

The convergence of state and congressional pressure suggests growing recognition that AI regulation requires coordination beyond what any single jurisdiction can provide. As AI systems increasingly affect employment, consumer protection, and critical infrastructure, the question is no longer whether federal rules are needed, but what form they will take and how quickly lawmakers will act.

These details were first reported by WRIC ABC 8News in Richmond.