OpenAI’s ChatGPT accounted for approximately 88% of the U.S. House of Representatives’ spending on AI services, according to CNBC, which reviewed the agency’s expenditure reports from April 1, 2025, to March 31, 2026.
Congressional offices, committees, and service units spent at least $113,740 on AI-based solutions. Of this amount, $100,580 was spent on ChatGPT, accounting for 798 transactions or 96% of all operations. Anthropic’s Claude ranked second with $13,160 across 37 transactions.
ChatGPT was paid for in at least 71 congressional offices—about one in six. Staff use these services for drafting bill summaries, preparing memos and hearing materials, and responding to constituents.
Spending varied along party lines. Democratic offices spent $54,165 on AI tools, while Republican offices spent $15,782. Notably, Democrats have often advocated for stricter oversight of AI developers, CNBC highlighted.
Data Reflects Partial Usage
The calculations did not include free accounts or AI features bundled in general software contracts, such as Microsoft Copilot. Senate expenses were only partially accounted for, as its reports do not disclose software product suppliers.
The gap between services is partly attributed to who entered the market first, journalists believe. In 2023, the House’s digital service created an AI task force and distributed 40 ChatGPT Plus subscriptions to staff from both parties’ offices.
Lobbying Expenses Rise for Both Companies
According to Issue One, OpenAI spent $1 million on federal lobbying in the first quarter of 2026—an 82.5% increase from the previous year. Anthropic spent nearly $1.6 million in the same period, more than tripling its first-quarter 2025 figure.
Lawmakers and their staff need practical experience with various AI products long before drafting industry regulations, stated Eric Petri from the Brennan Center for Justice.
“We want to ensure taxpayer money is spent on providing the government with the best available tools, not rewarding political favorites,” he said.
Earlier, in early March, the Pentagon deemed Anthropic a “supply chain risk,” and U.S. President Donald Trump ordered federal agencies to phase out the company’s technologies within six months. The decision followed the AI startup’s refusal to lift a ban on using Claude for mass domestic surveillance.
