The key facts

  • Democrats will gain control of House and Senate committees from January 1
  • Targets include scrutiny of DOGE, AI company lobbying, and data center subsidies
  • The Verge predicts a presidential veto on laws slowing neural network development

Investigations after the elections

After winning the midterm elections, Democrats intend to summon tech company executives to testify under oath and launch investigations. This is reported by The Verge, citing statements by members of Congress, as retold by Gazeta.Ru. From January 1, Democrats will gain control of the House and Senate committees and will be able to open cases, hold hearings, and issue subpoenas.

Main areas of scrutiny

Among the first targets named are the work of the DOGE agency, which was led by Elon Musk, lobbying by AI companies, subsidies for data centers, and corporate influence over federal agencies. Oversight Committee member Greg Casar said that AI company executives must testify under oath, and that the 'revolt against data centers' became one of the main themes of the recent elections and, in his words, triggered a sweeping shift in American politics.

A separate line against Musk

A separate line of inquiry will focus on Musk: his federal contracts, his activities at DOGE, and his companies' relations with the White House administration. Media previously reported that the billionaire spent at least $474 million supporting Republicans in the elections. Among the possible topics are the Starlink satellite communication outages in Ukraine, which, in the Democrats' view, raise the question of private companies' control over national security decisions. Lawmakers may also examine the energy consumption and water use of data centers, as well as tax breaks for their construction.

Forecasts and a possible compromise

The Verge predicts that these plans will face fierce resistance from the White House: according to analysts surveyed by the outlet, the US president will use his veto power to block any law aimed at slowing the development of neural networks. The outlet's sources suggested that the only area where the parties may find common ground will be protecting children online — mechanisms for verifying users' age in app stores and restricting minors' access to social media are being discussed. Earlier, a political scientist, as reported by Gazeta.Ru, predicted Musk's actions after the Republicans' defeat.