1. United States
2. Mo.
3. Letter

I am writing to urge you to exercise immediate congressional oversight regarding the Pentagon’s recent actions against the American AI company Anthropic. According to recent reporting, more than 30 former military officers, technology leaders, and national security experts have asked Congress to intervene in the escalating dispute between the Department of Defense and Anthropic. These experts are warning that the Pentagon’s decision to label the company a “supply-chain risk” and effectively cut it off from federal contracts could set a dangerous precedent for how the government treats private American technology companies. The conflict reportedly began after Anthropic refused Pentagon demands to remove safeguards that prohibit its AI systems from being used for mass domestic surveillance or fully autonomous weapons. Instead of resolving the disagreement through normal procurement negotiations, the Defense Department moved to blacklist the company entirely, a measure typically reserved for foreign adversaries, not American firms. Former military and intelligence leaders have warned Congress that this kind of action could damage trust between the U.S. government and the technology sector, undermine innovation, and discourage responsible AI development. Some have also raised concerns that the government may be attempting to force companies to abandon ethical guardrails around advanced AI systems. Regardless of where one stands on military AI policy, decisions of this magnitude should not be made without transparency and congressional oversight. When the executive branch begins using national-security authorities against American companies over policy disagreements, it raises serious questions about accountability and proper limits of power. Congress has a constitutional responsibility to oversee the Department of Defense and ensure that procurement authorities are not abused. I strongly urge you to support hearings or a formal inquiry into this matter so that the American people can understand what is happening and why. At a time when artificial intelligence will shape the future of national security, civil liberties, and the economy, these decisions must be made carefully and transparently, not behind closed doors. Please stand up for oversight, transparency, and responsible governance.