‘No question’ data centers will be considered critical infrastructure, top House intel Dem says
Ranking member Rep. Jim Himes, D-Mass., left, and chairman Rep. Rick Crawford, R-Ark., conduct the House Select Intelligence Committee hearing on "25 Years After 9/11: Confronting the Next Generation of Threats" on Tuesday, July 21, 2026. Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images
ByEdward Graham,
Managing Editor, Nextgov/FCW
October 21, 2026 07:13 PM ET
Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn., said the AI-focused facilities are going to be even more critical than their traditional data center counterparts because “so much more functionality is going to rely on their health and existence.”
The growing web of data centers across the United States that are needed to power artificial intelligence technologies is destined to be deemed critical infrastructure, according to the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee.
During an event at the Brookings Institution on Wednesday, Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn. — the powerful House panel’s ranking member...
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