Congress is out of session until Monday, November 9 for the midterm campaign. No new roll-call votes until then; the last were the House on Sep 16 and the Senate on Sep 30.

Issues / Issue · Sep 3 – Oct 2, 2026

Privacy and Surveillance

7D30D90D Export CSV
33Members · 24 D · 9 R
34Actions · 21 D · 13 R
18States & territories · OR · MO · NY · MA lead
6Bills named

How the conversation moved

Democrat Republican · one dot = one action
Action typeWk ofSep 38Wk ofSep 106Wk ofSep 177Wk ofSep 2410Wk ofOct 13Total
Sent lettersTo agencies, companies, officials 12
HearingsHeld, testified or questioned 5
CriticizedA policy, decision or person 2
Filed or pushed billsNew, reintroduced or passed 15

Developing stories

4 threads · 13 of 34 actions

Flock Surveillance Camera Misuse

6 members

  1. Sep 17Wyden, Schiff pressed Flock CEO for answers on surveillance technology abuse and privacy protections.
  2. Sep 18Hawley (R) invited surveillance company CEOs to testify on AI-powered camera networks.
  3. Sep 23Padilla questioned Flock surveillance camera misuse for immigration enforcement at Senate Judiciary Committee hearing.
  4. Sep 23Britt (R) Sent letter to DOJ urging guardrails on Flock automatic license plate reader cameras.
  5. Sep 23Durbin questioned witnesses on Flock surveillance cameras and privacy protections in Senate hearing.

6 actions →

Facilitating Liberty and Accountability for Flock Observations Act

4 members

  1. Sep 25Steube (R) introduced bill to prohibit federal agencies from using automated license plate reader surveillance without warrants.
  2. Sep 28Hawley (R) chaired hearing on Flock cameras and automated license plate readers, calling for federal regulation.
  3. Oct 2Casar, Brown demanded FBI transparency on plans to purchase Flock mass surveillance camera systems.

3 actions →

Ban Flock Act

4 members

  1. Sep 15Krishnamoorthi introduced bipartisan bill to restrict law enforcement abuse of automated license plate reader systems.
  2. Oct 2Merkley, Ocasio-Cortez, Sanders introduced the Ban Flock Act to prohibit federal use of AI-powered surveillance cameras.

2 actions →

Where they stand

Support · 12

  • DMerkley ORReintroduced bill to establish national privacy rights for car owners
  • ISanders VTIntroduced bill to ban AI-powered surveillance cameras and license plate readers
  • DGillibrand NYReintroduced Data Protection Act to establish federal data privacy agency
  • RHawley MOIntroduced Stop Flock Abuse Act to regulate AI surveillance cameras
  • DPressley MAReintroduced legislation to halt government facial recognition use
  • RSteube FLIntroduced bill requiring warrants for license plate reader surveillance
  • DMarkey MAReintroduced bill to halt government use of facial recognition
  • RRicketts NEIntroduced Agricultural Data Privacy Act to protect farmers' data ownership
  • DKrishnamoorthi ILIntroduced bipartisan bill to prevent license plate reader abuse
  • DMcGovern MAIntroduced bill to regulate tech platforms and protect consumer privacy
  • RKennedy UTIntroduced bill to prohibit utilities from selling customer energy usage data
  • DRiley NYIntroduced legislation to ban sale of smart meter data and protect consumer privacy

Oppose · 18

  • DCasar TXDemanded answers on FBI's planned Flock camera acquisition
  • DOcasio-Cortez NYOpposes AI-powered automatic license plate reader surveillance technology
  • DBrown OHDemanded answers on FBI's planned acquisition of Flock surveillance systems
  • RStutzman INIntroduced bill to prohibit federal vehicle fingerprinting databases
  • RCloud TXUrged Trump to address ATF gun registry database
  • DTlaib MIReintroduced bill to ban government use of facial recognition and biometric technology
  • DJayapal WAOpposes government use of facial recognition and biometric technology
  • DDurbin ILQuestioned oversight of Flock surveillance cameras
  • DPadilla CARaised concerns about ICE access to Flock data
  • DWarnock GAUrged guardrails on state and local Flock camera use
  • DWyden ORDemanded Flock implement safeguards to protect civil liberties
  • DSchiff CADemanded Flock implement safeguards to protect Americans' civil liberties
  • DWarner VAOpposes federal medical records collection for employment actions
  • DKaine VAOpposes DHS officials unlawfully accessing personal voter information
  • DClarke NYDemanded end to Medicaid data sharing with ICE
  • RBurlison MOIntroduced bill defunding federal surveillance camera and license plate reader programs
  • DSchakowsky ILUrged CPSC to suspend data collection on emergency department patients
  • DMullin CAOpposed CPSC's collection of identifiable emergency department patient data

What each party did · Democrats 21 · Republicans 13

  • 9Sent letters3
  • 2Hearings3
  • 2Criticized0
  • 8Filed or pushed bills7

Most active

  1. RHawley MO4
  2. DWyden OR4
  3. DMerkley OR3
  4. DMarkey MA2
  5. DSubramanyam VA2
  6. RBritt AL2
  7. DSchiff CA2
  8. DCasar TX1

By state

  • OR7
  • MO5
  • NY4
  • MA4
  • VA4
  • IL4
  • CA4
  • TX2

+10 more with fewer actions

Every action

34 actions · 46 releases
  1. Oct 2, 2026
  2. Sep 30, 2026
    • Bill

      RStutzman IN

      Introduced bill prohibiting federal vehicle fingerprinting databases from Flock cameras.

      Release ↗

    • Bill

      DGillibrand NY

      Introduced legislation to create independent federal agency protecting Americans' data from tech and AI companies.

      Release ↗

    • Bill

      RHawley MO

      Announced legislation to establish safeguards for AI-powered surveillance cameras.

      Release ↗

  3. Sep 29, 2026
    • Letter

      RCloud TX

      Sent letter to Trump urging action on ATF's centralized gun records database.

      Release ↗

  4. Sep 28, 2026
  5. Sep 25, 2026
  6. Sep 24, 2026
    • Bill

      DSubramanyam VA

      Introduced bipartisan bill to require explicit written consent for telemarketing robocalls.

      Release ↗

    • Hearing

      RBritt AL

      Questioned automatic license plate reader technology at Senate hearing, raised misuse concerns.

      Release ↗

  7. Sep 23, 2026
  8. Sep 22, 2026
    • Letter

      DWarnock GA

      Sent bipartisan letter urging Attorney General to provide guidance on preventing Flock camera misuse by law enforcement.

      Release ↗

  9. Sep 18, 2026
  10. Sep 17, 2026
  11. Sep 16, 2026
  12. Sep 15, 2026
  13. Sep 14, 2026
    • Criticism

      DKaine VA

      Criticized DHS personnel for illegally accessing Virginians' personal information.

      Release ↗

  14. Sep 11, 2026
    • Letter

      DWyden OR

      Requested Portland AI camera firm explain use of university footage in promotional video.

      Release ↗

    • Letter

      DWyden OR

      Urged UK court to lift secrecy around reported demand for Apple encryption backdoor.

      Release ↗

  15. Sep 9, 2026
  16. Sep 4, 2026
  17. Sep 3, 2026

Summaries, action types, amounts and positions are read from each press release by AI and can be wrong. Joint releases (same day, same action, matching title or amount) count once. How it works