Reality Caucus
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The Reality Caucus is the informal name of the Congressional Caucus on Virtual, Augmented and Mixed Reality Technologies, a bipartisan group of members of the United States House of Representatives that focuses on virtual reality, augmented reality and mixed reality. Representatives Suzan DelBene (D-Wash.), Yvette Clarke (D-N.Y.), Bill Flores (R-Texas), Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) and Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) announced its formation on 3 May 2017, and said they would serve as its co-chairs for the 115th Congress.[1][2]
The caucus is registered with the Committee on House Administration as a Congressional Member Organization. Its stated purpose is to promote these technologies to members of Congress and their staff and to share information between Congress and the technology industry.[1][3] Later activity included a 2021 briefing on immersive technology in health care, a 2022 resolution to designate November as "National XR Month" and a 2023 appropriations request. The caucus remained registered in the 119th Congress, with DelBene, Clarke and Lieu listed as its officers in December 2025.[4]
History
Formation (2017)
The five founding co-chairs announced the caucus in press releases from their offices on 3 May 2017. In their joint statement they said the caucus would "foster information sharing between Congress and our nation's world-leading technology industry". They named entertainment, education and health care as fields where the technologies showed potential, and they said privacy and intellectual property questions were likely to come up as the technologies developed. The statement framed the group's work as educating colleagues so that Congress would encourage the sector rather than hinder it.[1][2] Clarke's office published the announcement under the title "GOP and Democratic House Members Form 'Reality Caucus'".[5]
Technology and games press covered the launch. Game Developer described it as a caucus meant to promote VR, AR and mixed reality to members of Congress and their staff.[6] Engadget called it a new bipartisan group in the House.[7] Design World reported that the Entertainment Software Association praised the initiative.[8] Road to VR quoted Brian Sommer of IME Law, who said lobbyists could make an immediate impact by educating caucus members on emerging privacy issues, citing heat-mapping analytics and biometric data as examples.[9]
The Committee on House Administration's list of Congressional Member Organizations, updated on 7 July 2017, recorded the group as the Congressional Caucus on Virtual, Augmented and Mixed Reality Technologies ("The Reality Caucus"). That list named Flores, DelBene, Issa and Lieu as its officers.[3]
Health care briefing (2021)
On 16 July 2021 the Reality Caucus and the Medical Technology Caucus hosted a virtual congressional briefing on the use of immersive technologies in health care during the COVID-19 pandemic. DelBene, who chaired both caucuses, gave the opening remarks. Panelists included XR Association CEO Liz Hyman; Todd Chang, director of research and scholarship at Los Angeles Children's Hospital; Steven McCloskey, CEO of Nanome; and Keith Mortman, chief of thoracic surgery at GW Hospital. Topics included work still needed to improve XR for medical education and treatment.[10]
National XR Month resolution (2022)
On 28 September 2022 Issa introduced H.Res. 1399, with DelBene, Clarke and Lieu as cosponsors. The resolution expressed support for designating November 2022 as "National XR Month" and was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Reform.[11] Its preamble described extended reality (XR) as an umbrella term for immersive technologies including augmented, virtual and mixed reality. It noted that the House and the Senate had passed legislation designating immersive technology a "key technology focus area" for research and development, and it listed uses in health care, public safety, workforce training, manufacturing, construction, agriculture, education and national security. The resolving clauses recognized the economic and cultural impact of XR in the United States and supported the designation of National XR Month.[11] The XR Association described the measure as offered by co-chairs of the Reality Caucus and announced that it would host the first National XR Month that November.[12]
Appropriations request (2023)
In an appropriations request for fiscal year 2024, the co-chairs DelBene, Issa, Clarke and Lieu asked the House Appropriations Committee to include programmatic priorities that would promote the use of immersive technology. The request covered education, health care, workforce development, infrastructure and national security. The XR Association endorsed it on 24 March 2023.[13]
Leadership
The officers below are those listed in the Committee on House Administration's member organization lists. The committee notes that each caucus maintains its own membership list.[4]
| Source | Congress | Officers listed |
|---|---|---|
| Formation announcement, 3 May 2017 | 115th | Suzan DelBene, Yvette Clarke, Bill Flores, Darrell Issa, Ted Lieu[1] |
| CMO list updated 7 July 2017 | 115th | Bill Flores, Suzan DelBene, Darrell Issa, Ted Lieu[3] |
| CMO list updated 18 October 2023 | 118th | Suzan DelBene, Yvette Clarke, Darrell Issa, Ted Lieu[14] |
| CMO list updated 9 December 2025 | 119th | Suzan DelBene, Yvette Clarke, Ted Lieu[4] |
Relationship with the XR Association
The XR Association, an industry trade group, worked with the caucus on several of its activities. Its CEO took part in the 2021 health care briefing, it supported the National XR Month resolution and the 2023 appropriations request, and it ran an advocacy page asking people to encourage their representatives to join the caucus.[10][12][13] That page described the caucus as founded in 2017 to educate members of Congress about XR, give them hands-on experience with the technology and bring in experts to discuss public policy for the industry. It listed health care, workforce development, education, on-the-job training and public safety as focus areas.[15] On 6 October 2026 the XR Association announced that it would conclude its operations at the end of 2026.[16]
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 "Reps. DelBene, Clarke, Flores, Issa and Lieu form Reality Caucus". Congresswoman Suzan DelBene. U.S. House of Representatives. 2017-05-03. https://delbene.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/reps-delbene-clarke-flores-issa-and-lieu-form-reality-caucus. Retrieved 2026-10-21.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Reps. Lieu, Clarke, DelBene, Flores, and Issa Form Reality Caucus". Congressman Ted Lieu. U.S. House of Representatives. 2017-05-03. https://lieu.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/reps-lieu-clarke-delbene-flores-and-issa-form-reality-caucus. Retrieved 2026-10-21.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "115th Congress Congressional Member Organizations (CMOs), updated 7/7/17". Committee on House Administration. U.S. House of Representatives. 2017-07-07. https://web.archive.org/web/20170816182440/https://cha.house.gov/sites/republicans.cha.house.gov/files/documents/115CMOList(7.8.17).pdf. Retrieved 2026-10-21.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 "119th Congress Congressional Member Organizations (CMOs), updated 12/09/25". Committee on House Administration (Democrats). U.S. House of Representatives. 2025-12-09. https://democrats-cha.house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/democrats-cha.house.gov/files/evo-media-document/119th-congress-cmo-list-21.pdf. Retrieved 2026-10-21.
- ↑ "GOP and Democratic House Members Form 'Reality Caucus'". Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke. U.S. House of Representatives. 2017-05-03. https://clarke.house.gov/gop-democratic-house-members-form-reality-caucus/. Retrieved 2026-10-21.
- ↑ Alex Wawro (2017-05-03). "U.S. politicians form Congressional caucus dedicated to VR & AR tech". Game Developer. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/u-s-politicians-form-congressional-caucus-dedicated-to-vr-ar-tech. Retrieved 2026-10-21.
- ↑ Rob LeFebvre (2017-05-04). "Congress is getting in on the AR and VR hype too". Engadget. https://www.engadget.com/2017/05/04/congress-ar-and-vr-hype/. Retrieved 2026-10-21.
- ↑ Diana Goovaerts (2017-05-04). "Representatives Form VR/AR Caucus to Boost Budding Technology". Design World. https://www.designworldonline.com/representatives-form-vr-ar-caucus-to-boost-budding-technology/. Retrieved 2026-10-21.
- ↑ Michael Glombicki (2017-05-05). "US Legislators Form VR-centric "Reality Caucus" to Guide Immersive Technology Policy". Road to VR. https://www.roadtovr.com/us-legislators-form-vr-centric-reality-caucus-guide-immersive-technology-policy/. Retrieved 2026-10-21.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 "Liz Hyman Participates in House Reality Caucus/Medical Technology Caucus Event". XR Association. https://xra.org/liz-hyman-participates-in-house-reality-caucus-medical-technology-caucus-event/. Retrieved 2026-10-21.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 "H. Res. 1399 (IH) - Expressing support for the designation of the month of November 2022 as "National XR Month"". GovInfo. U.S. Government Publishing Office. 2022-09-28. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/BILLS-117hres1399ih/html/BILLS-117hres1399ih.htm. Retrieved 2026-10-21.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 "XRA to Host Inaugural "National XR Month"". XR Association. 2022-09-28. https://xra.org/xra-to-host-inaugural-national-xr-month/. Retrieved 2026-10-21.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 "XRA Endorses the House Reality Caucus Appropriations Request". XR Association. https://xra.org/xra-endorses-the-house-reality-caucus-appropriations-request/. Retrieved 2026-10-21.
- ↑ "118th Congress Congressional Member Organizations (CMOs), updated 10/18/23". Committee on House Administration. U.S. House of Representatives. 2023-10-18. https://web.archive.org/web/20251005045234/https://cha.house.gov/_cache/files/8/b/8becd89e-0d95-4c9f-8320-bfaf884370d6/EB3C66E3F6E982A7F37FD67F00F95B99.cmo-updated.pdf. Retrieved 2026-10-21.
- ↑ "XRACTION: Encourage Your Representative to Join the House Reality Caucus". XR Association. https://xra.org/?p=3846. Retrieved 2026-10-21.
- ↑ "XR Association Marks Successful Completion of Its Mission to Drive XR Into the Mainstream". XR Association. 2026-10-06. https://xra.org/xr-association-marks-successful-completion-of-its-mission-to-drive-xr-into-the-mainstream/. Retrieved 2026-10-21.