[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 95 (Tuesday, June 4, 2024)]
[House]
[Pages H3650-H3653]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        SOUNDING ALARMS ABOUT AI

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of 
January 9, 2023, the Chair recognizes the gentleman from California 
(Mr. Kiley) for 30 minutes.
  Mr. KILEY. Madam Speaker, I rise today to sound the alarm again about 
the rapidly advancing capabilities of artificial intelligence systems.
  I will say at the outset that while in a sense this is alarming, it 
is also incredibly exciting. The level of innovation and the expansion 
capabilities that we are seeing hold the promise of making life better 
in countless ways for people across the country and around the world.
  Yet, at the same time, the pace at which these capabilities are 
growing has unpredictable risks, as well. We are seeing more and more 
people who work at or have worked at the leading AI companies who are 
starting to sound this alarm, as well.
  Today, we got a letter from employees of OpenAI, former employees and 
other researchers. This is according to WIRED reporting. A group of 
current and former OpenAI employees have issued a public letter warning 
that the company and its rivals are building artificial intelligence 
with undue risk, without sufficient oversight, and while muzzling 
employees who might witness irresponsible activities.
  These risks, the letter says, range from the further entrenchment of 
existing inequalities to manipulation and misinformation and to the 
loss of control of autonomous AI systems.
  As long as there is no effective government oversight of these 
corporations, the letter says, current and former employees are among 
the few people who can hold them accountable.
  What the authors of this letter are calling for is protection for 
whistleblowers at the companies who bring to light information about 
what might be going on there that could be of public concern.
  Now, there might, perhaps, be some role for us here when it comes to 
the question of protecting whistleblowers,

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but I think there are a couple of other actionable steps that we can 
take to try to give a greater level of attention and scrutiny to a 
topic that truly merits it.
  I will also say that I am quite skeptical of efforts that we see in 
several States now to try to regulate this innovation in a way that 
just stops it in its tracks. I think that the measures that I have seen 
are rather crude in their formulation and probably wouldn't work. If 
they did work, they would deprive us of innumerable potential benefits.
  What we can do is try to find ways of promoting much greater 
transparency as far as what is going on at these leading companies so 
that we all can become more aware of the potential for new capabilities 
to emerge or for what those capabilities are when they do emerge in the 
lab.
  I think it is worth exploring what sort of reporting and dialogue 
avenues we might be able to put in place, as well as using our ability 
to provide transparency and encourage public debate here through, for 
example, holding hearings on what is going on at some of these leading 
companies or on questions such as whether AGI, known as artificial 
general intelligence, is something that might be just around the corner 
and what the implications of that will be.
  I think that given the profound ways in which this technology is 
already changing the world, and is very likely to do so at a whole 
other level in the not too distant future, we need to have as many 
voices as possible participating in these very urgent questions as to 
how we ensure that this technology continues to benefit humanity and 
how we can collectively control the risks in a way that is consistent 
with our values.
  The final thing that I think we could do right now to really have a 
positive impact is to promote basic research or cutting-edge research 
when it comes to AI safety and alignment issues.
  Today, one of the employees who left OpenAI made a statement saying: 
``These systems are not ordinary software. They are artificial neural 
nets that learn from massive amounts of data. There is a rapidly 
growing scientific literature on interpretability, alignment, and 
control, but these fields are still in their infancy.''
  There is a growing scientific literature on these fields of 
interpretability, alignment, and control, but they are still in 
infancy. What we need to do is try to propel that field into full 
maturity as quickly as possible because the pace of innovation is truly 
breathtaking right now as models are being scaled up and new 
capabilities are emerging. We need to do everything we can to encourage 
research that can be helpful in mitigating the risks as those 
capabilities continue to grow.
  That is something we can do here. I have introduced a bill to do just 
that. It would provide grants for AI safety research as well as some 
reporting back from those who receive the grants.

  A fundamental function of government is to catalyze research in areas 
where there might not be a commercial incentive. That is, perhaps, the 
most important thing that we could do now to try to prepare us for the 
future ahead and to ensure that we maximize the benefits while 
minimizing the risks.


              Funding California's High-Speed Rail Project

  Mr. KILEY. Madam Speaker, I stand in strong support of the House 
Transportation Committee's investigation into California's so-called 
high-speed rail project.
  This project has truly been a disappointment of historic proportions. 
It has now tripled in cost to $128 billion with little more to show for 
it after 15 years than one bridge to nowhere that was recently 
unveiled.
  The House Transportation Committee, in addition to its Senate 
counterpart, is demanding documents on the Biden administration's 
decision to allocate substantial Federal taxpayer dollars to this 
highly questionable endeavor when there is no reasonable path forward 
for successful completion.
  In fact, a New York Times expose found the train is not even on track 
to be completed this century. A lead operator several years ago 
abandoned the project to build in North Africa where it was ``less 
politically dysfunctional'' than California. That operator, by the way, 
brought a high-speed train online in Morocco in 2018.
  The letter from Chairman Graves and Senator Cruz goes into some 
detail about the problems that have beleaguered the California High-
Speed Rail Authority, CHSRA. It says: ``Despite California's reputation 
as a high-tax State, the high-speed rail project far exceeds the 
State's ability to finance the project, and it is now seeking Federal 
subsidies. In March 2023, CHSRA Peer Review Group, whose job is to 
evaluate CHSRA's funding plans, sounded the alarm. It reported an 
astounding `unfunded gap of $92.6 billion to $103.1 billion between 
estimated costs and known State and Federal funding' for the full San 
Francisco-to-San Diego system.''
  The letter is requesting documents from the Department of 
Transportation concerning its decision to award $3 billion more to this 
project and to keep it on life support, which is a concern to 
California taxpayers not only because these Federal funds are partially 
our taxes but also because it is continuing to keep the project going 
so that more and more of our State tax dollars will have to go to it, 
as well.
  Among the requests that are being made of the Department of 
Transportation is information concerning the Department's ``evaluation 
of the issues facing the CHRSA, including but not limited to the level 
of risk associated with the unbid, technically challenging elements of 
the project, including tunnels and viaduct; the low ridership projected 
for the Merced-to-Bakersfield segment; the remaining gap in funds 
needed for completion of the Merced-to-Bakersfield segment, even after 
the recent awards of more than $3 billion; the lack of an independent 
review of the economic and financial justification for the project as 
noted by the peer review group; and the large gap in funds needed for 
completion of at least the phase I segment from San Francisco to Los 
Angeles; and DOT's plans to address the issues raised by the CHSRA IG 
and peer review group prior to obligating funds to CHSRA.''
  Madam Speaker, I have been calling for this project to end for years. 
It is not even clear that if and when it is ever built, it will be 
anything close to state-of-the-art technology.
  For Californians to have to continue to pay billions and billions of 
dollars more for this project when our roads continue to deteriorate 
and to be among the worst in the country despite us paying the highest 
taxes when it comes to gas is absolutely unacceptable. I am hoping that 
this investigation, which I will look forward to being part of as a 
member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, will play a 
role in finally bringing the project to an end.


                     Concerns About President Biden

  Mr. KILEY. Madam Speaker, I rise today to express grave concern over 
the Biden administration's decision to withhold information that is of 
very much legitimate public interest and concern.
  Specifically, that is the audio recordings of President Biden's 
interviews with Special Counsel Robert Hur, which were subpoenaed but 
have not been turned over, and over which the President has now made an 
assertion of executive privilege.
  I have discussed before the many legal problems--indeed, 
absurdities--of his assertion of executive privilege. I want today to 
make perhaps a more important point: That is that the administration is 
going out of its way to prevent the public from getting information 
that the public very much wants and needs.
  During today's Judiciary Committee hearing with Attorney General 
Merrick Garland, I asked him about Robert Hur and his report. I asked, 
first of all, whether he regrets picking Robert Hur to be special 
counsel, and the Attorney General said no.
  I asked him about his statement when he appointed Robert Hur, about 
his long and distinguished career as a prosecutor, if he stood by that, 
and the Attorney General stood by that.
  Moreover, he did not dispute any of the substance of Special Counsel 
Hur's report. For example, I asked him about Special Counsel Hur's 
finding that there was evidence the President willfully retained 
classified documents, and Attorney General Garland did not dispute that 
finding.

[[Page H3652]]

  Indeed, when Special Counsel Hur himself testified before our 
committee a few months ago, I asked Special Counsel Hur if a reasonable 
juror could have voted to convict President Biden. Special Counsel Hur 
said yes. That is that there was sufficient evidence to sustain a 
conviction of President Biden for committing a felony.
  Of course, President Biden has not been charged. The special counsel 
did not recommend charges. One of the reasons that he gave for not 
doing so was the President's ``diminished faculties and faulty 
memory,'' at other points referred to as ``poor memory'' or that his 
memory had ``significant limitations.''

  Special Counsel Hur concluded that these factors would make it more 
difficult to obtain a unanimous jury verdict. I will say again the 
language from the report: ``diminished faculties and faulty memory.''
  These were the conclusions that Mr. Hur reached based upon his 
interviews with the President. Again, Merrick Garland, Attorney General 
Garland, who is withholding these recordings, has not disputed any of 
the special counsel's findings.
  Merrick Garland and now President Biden himself are withholding the 
evidence that Special Counsel Hur used to conclude that the President 
has diminished faculties and a faulty memory. There is nothing the 
President or the Attorney General could say to dispute that.
  It is the inescapable conclusion of the fact that Attorney General 
Garland continues to stand by the Hur report and not dispute it.

                              {time}  1845

  That is a big problem because I am not myself offering any opinions 
here on the faculties or cognitive abilities of the President. I am 
simply quoting the findings of Special Counsel Hur. The public is very 
much concerned about these issues when it comes to the competency of 
the Commander in Chief. I don't think anyone would doubt that there is 
a legitimate public interest in whether the Commander in Chief does 
have diminished faculties and a faulty memory.
  Again, the conclusion is inescapable, that we now have the 
administration withholding this evidence that is of great concern to 
the public, and the basis on which they are doing so is almost trivial. 
The basis on which they are doing so is that if they turn over these 
recordings, then somehow that will deter future witnesses from 
cooperating in future investigations because they don't want their 
words to become public.
  Let's take that at face value. Let's assume that it is true, that 
there would be a deterrent effect or a chilling effect. The problem is 
that the Justice Department has already released transcripts of the 
recordings, so if we were to weigh the interests here, there is the 
undeniable public interest in whether the President has diminished 
faculties and a faulty memory, as Special Counsel Hur reported. That is 
the interest on one side.
  The interest on the other side is whatever marginal added deterrence 
there might be from releasing a recording over and above a transcript 
with the exact words from that recording. One would have to conclude 
that that additional deterrence effect, to the extent that there is 
any, is quite small, quite marginal, negligible compared to the 
overriding public interest in the matter at hand.
  Therefore, there is simply no justification for the Justice 
Department to continue to stonewall or the White House to claim 
executive privilege. Indeed, it is even more disturbing in light of the 
fact that the White House tried to alter the Hur report itself. Special 
Counsel Hur testified to our committee that the White House did request 
to make edits to the report.
  I am, again, calling on the White House and Attorney General Garland 
to release these recordings of which the public has a legitimate 
interest in hearing so that they can draw whatever conclusions they 
might for themselves.


                   Appropriations Funds for Veterans

  Mr. KILEY. Madam Speaker, today we began work on passing the fiscal 
year 2025 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies 
Appropriations bill to maintain our commitment to our Nation's veterans 
and bolster our national security.
  The bill provides a total of $378.6 billion in overall funding. This 
includes $337.4 billion for the Department of Veterans Affairs, which 
is $75.5 million more than President Biden's request. It includes 
$112.6 billion for medical care.
  This is tremendously important to me and so many folks in my 
district. One of the things that we are most proud of in my district 
office is helping veterans get the care and the benefits that they 
deserve, and this bill will go a long way toward delivering on what we 
owe our veterans. Indeed, the bill takes away experimental programs and 
makes sure that the funding that is in the bill is there to fully 
support our veterans.
  This bill is deserving of bipartisan support, and I will continue to 
support veterans and support the funding for veterans that they are 
entitled to. I am very glad to see that it is coming up for 
consideration and is on its way to passage and, hopefully, being signed 
into law very soon.


            Congratulating Sarah Koligian on Her Retirement

  Mr. KILEY. Madam Speaker, I would like to take a moment to recognize 
Folsom Cordova Unified School District Superintendent, Dr. Sarah 
Koligian, who is retiring after 37 years in public education, the past 
7 of which she spent serving Folsom Cordova schools.
  Dr. Koligian was born and raised in California's San Joaquin Valley 
and attended Cal State University, Fresno where she earned her 
doctorate in education.
  She began teaching in Fresno, where she was a resource teacher at 
Madison Elementary. She held various administrative positions and 
served as a superintendent for other school districts before joining 
Folsom Cordova in 2017.
  In her role as superintendent for the Folsom Cordova Unified School 
District, Dr. Koligian supported over 20,000 students and almost 3,000 
employees across 36 schools. Under her supervision, Folsom Cordova 
continues to be considered one of the top performing school districts 
in the region, with award-winning schools and programs.
  During her tenure, she faced unprecedented challenges, including 
those related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite those obstacles, she 
received the Association of California School Administrators 
Superintendent of the Year award in 2021, which is quite the 
distinction.
  Throughout her career, she also achieved many long-term goals for the 
district, including overseeing the opening of two new schools and 
expanding school resources by implementing transitional kindergarten, 
community schools, and growing career technical education programs.
  Dr. Koligian is known by others for her expertise, enthusiasm, and 
devotion to her work. I applaud Dr. Koligian for her unwavering 
dedication to providing educational opportunity, promoting student 
success, and leading the school district through significant growth and 
achievement.
  Therefore, on behalf of the United States House of Representatives, I 
am honored to recognize Dr. Koligian for her leadership and nearly four 
decades of service to public education. I join the students, teachers, 
and parents of the Folsom Cordova Unified School District in wishing 
her the very best in her retirement.


 Detective Jason Westgate Named to Third Congressional District Police 
                               Honor Roll

  Mr. KILEY. Madam Speaker, it is my distinct honor to name Detective 
Jason Westgate of the Rocklin Police Department to the Third 
Congressional District Police Honor Roll.

  With an exemplary career spanning over 29 years in law enforcement, 
Detective Westgate has demonstrated unparalleled commitment to justice, 
community safety, and the highest standards of law enforcement.
  After joining the Rocklin Police Department, Jason quickly 
distinguished himself as a formidable force against narcotics and 
crime, earning positions such as canine handler, narcotics detective, 
SWAT officer, corporal, and eventually leading to his crucial role in 
the Tri-County Drug Enforcement Team, known as TRIDENT. His tenure in 
TRIDENT has been marked by significant achievements that reflect his 
dedication, strategic intellect, and leadership.
  From 2016 onward, Detective Westgate and his drug-trained canine,

[[Page H3653]]

Maddie, have worked together to significantly disrupt drug trafficking 
operations, leading to the recovery of vast quantities of illegal 
substances and illicit money which might have otherwise devastated many 
lives and communities.
  In addition to his field work, Jason's contributions to training 
programs for new officers and his involvement in community education on 
drug abuse prevention highlight his holistic approach to law 
enforcement.
  He embodies the spirit of community policing by building strong 
relations with citizens and educating the younger generation, thereby 
nurturing a safer environment.
  Throughout his distinguished career, Detective Westgate has earned 
numerous honors, reflecting his exceptional skills, reliability, and 
esteemed reputation among his peers, supervisors, and the community. 
These accolades include being named the TRIDENT Detective of the Year 
twice and a Chief's Certificate of Commendation, as well as recent 
recognitions from the Sacramento FBI and various local law enforcement 
agencies.
  However, the most distinguished of his numerous recognitions is the 
International Narcotics Interdiction Association 2023 Officer of the 
Year award. This award serves as evidence of his exceptional impact and 
contributions to narcotics interdiction, not just on a national scale, 
but internationally.
  His unwavering dedication and outstanding contributions to law 
enforcement deserve this high recognition, not only as a testament to 
his personal achievements, but as a beacon of exemplary service that 
inspires officers across the Nation.


Sheriff Mike Fisher Named to Third Congressional District Police Honor 
                                  Roll

  Mr. KILEY. Madam Speaker, I would like to offer congratulations to 
Sheriff Mike Fisher of the Sierra County Sheriff's Department for being 
named to the Third Congressional District Police Honor Roll. Sheriff 
Fisher has now been named to the honor roll twice in as many years.
  As a sheriff in a small rural community, Sheriff Fisher wears many 
different hats. He runs the office, deals with budgets, handles 
recruitment and hiring, and is the head of the Office of Emergency 
Services.
  At a time when many law enforcement agencies are struggling with 
hiring and retaining good, qualified candidates, the Sierra County 
Sheriff's Office has expanded and hired new, enthusiastic deputies who 
have become solid members of the community.
  Although Sheriff Fisher deals with the same administrative 
responsibilities as in bigger counties, he also remains available to 
everyone in the community. He personally responds to questions and 
concerns of his constituents. He is approachable and responsive and 
cares deeply about all members of the community.
  Public safety is Sheriff Fisher's primary goal. He has been 
instrumental in educating the community to prepare for wildfires. As 
director of emergency services, he has implemented several notification 
alternatives to alert the residents regarding emergencies and how to 
evacuate. He has also been a fierce advocate for Sierra County to 
retain landline phone service since cellular service in the area is not 
reliable.
  In addition to these challenges, Sheriff Fisher is active on patrol 
and conducting investigations. He works closely with other departments 
and agencies, coordinating search and rescue operations in remote 
areas.
  Sheriff Fisher has consistently and selflessly put the well-being of 
the county ahead of any personal considerations. He is willing to make 
hard choices to protect our community.
  For his continued dedication to Sierra County, organizational 
leadership, and commitment to public safety, I am honored to include 
Sheriff Mike Fisher of the Sierra County Sheriff's Department in the 
Third Congressional District Police Honor Roll.


  Officer Shannon Rauls Named to Third Congressional District Police 
                               Honor Roll

  Mr. KILEY. Madam Speaker, it is my privilege to name Roseville Police 
Officer Shannon Rauls to the 2024 Third Congressional District Police 
Honor Roll. Shannon joined the police academy in May of 2017 and 
graduated from the academy and was sworn in as a police officer in 
November of 2017.
  Shannon is one of the unsung heroes of the Roseville Police 
Department. She goes to work every day, works hard, and is an 
exceptional representation of what it means to be a Roseville police 
officer.
  Officer Rauls became a field training officer just 4 years after she 
became an officer. Field training officers have the single most 
important role in the entire department, as they train future officers. 
She is patient, sets high expectations, is a great teacher, and gives 
candidates the room to grow and learn.
  Officer Rauls also works as a patrol officer and is an outstanding 
teammate with her fellow officers on patrol. She builds great 
relationships with her teammates, works hard as part of the team, and 
will hold teammates accountable when the standards of her team are not 
being met. She has an exceptionally high standard for herself and makes 
her peers around her want to raise their standards as well.
  Finally, she is one of the original members of the department's 
reformed honor guard. They represent the entire department when they 
participate in a fallen officer service or memorial.

  For every other assignment in the police department, the division 
commander has the final approval for who joins the team. However, the 
police chief personally selects every member of the honor guard because 
of how important this team is for representing the department.
  Most of all, Officer Rauls is an example of what it means to be a 
Roseville police officer. She is a mentor and role model and an 
outstanding teammate for her patrol team. She is a great example of 
what police officers are really like every day, not necessarily what 
you always see in the news.
  Officer Rauls works every day to make her community better, and she 
is very much deserving of a place in the Third Congressional District 
Police Honor Roll.
  Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Members are reminded to refrain from 
engaging in personalities toward the President including by referencing 
other sources that would have been out of order if spoken in the 
Member's own words.

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