Overview
- A CNBC analysis of House records for the year ending March 31, 2026 found $113,740 in identifiable AI vendor spending with ChatGPT accounting for $100,580 across 798 transactions, about 88% of dollars and 96% of transactions.
- Visible purchases were concentrated in Democratic offices, which accounted for $54,165 in identified AI buys versus $15,782 for Republican offices, though ChatGPT subscriptions appeared across both parties.
- The disclosed figures undercount total congressional AI use because they exclude free accounts, AI features bundled into larger contracts such as Microsoft Copilot, most Senate reporting, and purchases obscured by reimbursement practices.
- House staff say they use AI to summarize bills, draft memos, prepare hearing materials and answer constituents while some offices require independent fact checks and human decisions for casework and policy choices.
- AI firms have sharply increased lobbying spending in early 2026 and built Hill training partnerships, a trend that could influence procurement rules, vendor access and calls for formal comparative testing before lawmaking.