The U.S. House passed a funding package for key federal agencies, including Defense, Education, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Housing and Urban Development, Labor, and Transportation. The package now moves to the U.S. Senate for consideration.
The legislation contains several notable tech provisions, including funding extensions for the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act of 2015 (CISA 2015) and the State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program through September 2026. CISA 2015 encourages information sharing between the private sector and government on cyber threats and provides liability protections for information disclosure.
Thank you for reading. Below, you’ll find additional tech policy news as well as a featured podcast.
This Week in Washington
- FedScoop: The U.S. House passed two bills intended to increase small businesses’ access to AI training. The AI for Main Street Act and the AI WISE Act, which both received broad bipartisan support, direct the Small Business Administration (SBA) to provide training and guidance to small businesses looking to implement AI technology. Both bills must still pass the U.S. Senate.
- Business Chief: The World Economic Forum in Davos was dominated by discussions of AI for the second year in a row. Major technological leaders from across the industry spoke, including Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, who discussed the potential for AI to transform sectors including health and education.
- Cyberscoop: Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) acting director Madhu Gottumukkala testified in front of the House Homeland Security Committee . The hearing focused on staffing cuts at CISA and the administration’s plans to hire new talent in 2026.
Article Summary
- The Register: OpenAI announced it would pay all electricity costs associated with its Stargate datacenters and invest in local communities impacted by the new construction. The announcement follows Microsoft’s Community-First AI Infrastructure Initiative launch.
- Axios: The CEO of the Nature Conservancy is looking to AI to help protect endangered species. For example, she said the Conservancy is looking at AI technology to track fish populations and monitor industrial fishing practices.
- Spokesman Review: Spokane, Washington, has terminated its contract with Crisis24’s CodeRED public emergency notification system after a cyberattack led to the complete shutdown of the system in November. The system was widely used throughout the country before the cyberattack.
Featured Podcast
- Switched On
Driven by datacenter demand, energy production is accelerating, with spending up 17% in 2025. However, older assets and supply chain challenges have slowed the delivery of new power. BoombergNEF’s head of grids research Peter Wall joined their podcast to talk through these challenges. (Power Grid Spending Surges but Capacity Still Lags – January 22, 2026) – 28 minute listen.
Note: Voices for Innovation regularly shares a range of opinion articles and press releases from organizations in and publications covering tech policy. These pieces are meant to educate our audience, not to endorse specific platforms or bills.