Congress spends the bulk of its AI budget on OpenAI's ChatGPT
House records show that about 90% of the Capitol’s AI expenditures went to OpenAI’s ChatGPT, totaling roughly $100,580.
Financial disclosures from the House indicate that OpenAI’s ChatGPT captured roughly 90% of all AI-related purchases made by congressional offices, committees and institutional accounts through March 31, amounting to $100,580 across 798 separate transactions. The overall AI budget recorded was at least $113,740, with Anthropic’s Claude trailing at $13,160 in 37 purchases. Democratic offices spent $54,165 on AI tools, three times the $15,782 spent by Republican offices.
The reported numbers do not count any free accounts or AI services included in broader software agreements. Staff members are employing ChatGPT and similar platforms to write memoranda, summarize and interpret legislation, respond to constituents, prepare hearing materials, organize policy research, and even generate social-media posts. These findings highlight the growing reliance on generative AI within the legislative branch.
Why it matters
It shows how AI tools are becoming a primary resource for congressional staff, influencing how legislation is drafted and communicated.
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