A GOP-led initiative designed to curb states from independently enforcing artificial intelligence regulations advanced on Saturday after clearing a significant procedural barrier.
Senator Ted Cruz, chair of the Senate Commerce Committee, revised the proposal to align with federal budgetary constraints.
The updated provision threatens to withhold federal broadband funding from any state that attempts to implement its own AI rules within the next ten years.
This version passed scrutiny by the Senate Parliamentarian, who confirmed it does not violate the Byrd rule.
That decision allows the measure to be included in the Republicans’ sweeping legislative agenda, dubbed “One Big, Beautiful Bill,” which can pass the Senate with a simple majority and avoid a filibuster or the need for Democratic votes.
Despite the procedural approval, there is no clear consensus within the Republican ranks.
Senator Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee openly criticized the idea, stating, “We do not need a moratorium that would prohibit our states from stepping up and protecting citizens in their state.”
While the House has already passed a version of the bill containing the moratorium, internal pushback followed.
Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene labeled the provision “a violation of state rights” and insisted it must be “stripped out in the Senate.” She emphasized her opposition by declaring she is “adamantly OPPOSED” to the measure.
Defending the moratorium, House Speaker Mike Johnson cited national security concerns and the support of former President Donald Trump. “We have to be careful not to have 50 different states regulating AI because it has national security implications” he said.
Get more insight into the nuance of the idea and its proposals here.
