House Lawmakers Propose New AI Rules for Veterans Affairs

Anyone who walks past the massive Department of Veterans Affairs headquarters on Vermont Avenue knows it’s a pillar of the federal government in DC. Now, two lawmakers on Capitol Hill are looking to write new rules for how that immense agency buys and uses artificial intelligence.

The proposals come from Rep. Paul Gosar, a Republican from Arizona, and Rep. James Walkinshaw, a Democrat from Virginia. They each filed separate amendments to the House's fiscal year 2027 spending bill for military construction and veterans affairs. It's a classic Capitol Hill maneuver: use a must-pass funding bill to set new policies for an agency.

Bipartisan Push for AI Rules

The two amendments aren't identical, but they both aim to give the VA guardrails for its AI tools. It's a sign of a broader, bipartisan interest in Congress to get a handle on how federal agencies are deploying emerging technology. For years, agencies have been experimenting with AI, and now lawmakers are using the power of the purse to demand more oversight.

For now, these are just proposals lodged in the appropriations process. They still have to survive committee debates, a vote on the House floor, and negotiations with the Senate before they could ever become law. But the move puts the VA, and the DC-based contractors that work with it, on notice that new rules for AI could be coming down the pike, tied directly to the agency's funding.