White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Director Michael Kratios told the Senate subcommittee on Science, Manufacturing, and Competitiveness on Sept. 17 that the administration’s AI Action Plan aims to preserve U.S. leadership by focusing on three priorities: innovation, infrastructure and international partnerships. "The action plan is a giant leap furthering the first steps President Trump took for American AI dominance," Kratios said in his opening remarks.

Kratios said the plan, released July 23 as "Winning the AI Race, America's AI Action Plan," was issued alongside three executive orders. He described the orders as complementing the plan by directing agency action on issues including federal procurement standards, permitting for AI infrastructure and export promotion for what he called the American tech “stack.”

The hearing provided an early implementation update. Kratios told senators that the Commerce Department is on a "90 day shot clock" to issue a request for information or proposals for an AI export package, OSTP has convened an AI education task force chaired by the first lady, and OSTP expects to publish a request for information to identify regulations that might impede AI development. "There are a number of actions that were announced that day," Kratios said, adding that agencies and Congress must work together to provide regulatory clarity.

Supporters at the hearing, including Chairman Budd and Chairman Cruz, urged quick legislative action to provide certainty for industry and avoid a fragmented patchwork of rules. Cruz said he was releasing a legislative framework addressing permitting, free-speech protections, state preemption, fraud prevention and bioethical considerations, and announced he will introduce a regulatory sandbox bill designed to give innovators time-limited waivers under written agreement.

Ranking Member Baldwin and other senators stressed that AI policy should include guardrails to protect scientific research and civil liberties. Baldwin raised funding cuts to federal research programs and warned those cuts could undercut the talent pipeline that supports innovation.

Kratios told the subcommittee that OSTP will work with Congress on measures that include regulatory sandboxes and that the administration sees an important role for federal procurement standards and NIST-led evaluation work. He emphasized agency coordination on infrastructure, workforce development and international promotion of U.S. technology.

Looking ahead, Kratios said the administration will continue to solicit industry input and work with lawmakers on legislation to provide the regulatory certainty he said U.S. innovators need to retain a competitive edge. He closed by urging continued bipartisan collaboration between the executive branch and Congress on the implementation of the action plan.