House Speaker Mike Johnson and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries agreed Sunday that artificial intelligence poses mounting risks that warrant congressional attention, yet the two leaders parted ways on the urgency and form of any response.

Speaking on NBC's "Meet the Press," Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, stressed the need for careful deliberation to avoid harming American competitiveness against China. "We're not going to rush in and pass a piece of legislation that would do harm to the country and put China at an edge," he said. The speaker indicated he would recall House members for a vote only if a viable solution emerged and favored industry leaders taking primary responsibility for safety measures.

Jeffries, a New York Democrat, appeared on ABC's "This Week" and called for decisive action. He criticized the pace of progress under Republican leadership and said Democrats would prioritize the issue when the House returns Monday for its final scheduled week before the midterm elections. Jeffries stopped short of naming specific restrictions.

The comments followed recent warnings from AI company executives about the technology's rapid advancement. Johnson proposed a meeting involving President Trump, congressional leaders, and top AI executives to determine appropriate guardrails without imposing an emergency moratorium that could cede ground to China.

Both parties face pressure to balance innovation and national security. Republicans have highlighted the strategic importance of maintaining America's lead in AI development, warning that overly restrictive rules could benefit adversaries. Democrats have pushed for stronger oversight, including independent reviews and potential pauses on the most advanced systems.

The narrow legislative window before midterms makes comprehensive AI legislation unlikely in the short term. Existing bipartisan proposals, such as the FRONTIER Act in the House, focus on safety reporting and audits but have not advanced to a vote. Senate efforts led by Majority Leader John Thune and others seek to impose legal duties of care on frontier model developers.

Public opinion polls show broad bipartisan support for mandatory safety testing of powerful AI systems. Lawmakers from both sides have acknowledged the challenge of crafting rules that protect against catastrophic risks while preserving technological edge.