Republican divisions deepened today over President Trump's proposal to ban states from regulating artificial intelligence for the next decade, as Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick joined a social media campaign supporting the controversial provision while at least four GOP senators expressed reservations about blocking state oversight of the rapidly evolving technology.
The 10-year moratorium, embedded in Trump's "Big Beautiful Bill" tax package, would prevent states from enforcing AI laws and tie federal broadband funding to compliance with the ban. The measure cleared a procedural hurdle Saturday when the Senate parliamentarian ruled it eligible for budget reconciliation, allowing passage with a simple majority vote.
The provision has exposed unusual fault lines within the GOP, with prominent conservatives breaking ranks to oppose what they view as federal overreach. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, who voted for the House bill unaware of the AI provision, now threatens to oppose the legislation unless the ban is removed12.
"We have no idea what AI will be capable of in the next 10 years and giving it free rein and tying states hands is potentially dangerous," Greene wrote on social media1.
Senators Josh Hawley of Missouri and Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee have also vowed to strip the provision, with Hawley promising to work with Democrats on an amendment to remove the language31.
More than 260 state legislators from all 50 states sent a letter to Congress opposing the moratorium, arguing it would prevent them from addressing AI-related harms like deepfake scams and algorithmic discrimination1. The bipartisan coalition, led by South Carolina Republican Rep. Brandon Guffey and South Dakota Democratic Sen. Liz Larson, emphasized the importance of state autonomy in policymaking1.
States have already enacted dozens of AI laws in the absence of federal regulation, ranging from deepfake protections to employment algorithm restrictions23. California, Colorado, and Utah have passed comprehensive AI legislation, while Tennessee enacted the ELVIS Act targeting audio deepfakes3.
Major tech companies including Meta, Google, and Amazon support the ban to avoid a "patchwork" of conflicting state laws1. However, Microsoft's chief scientist Eric Horvitz warned that blocking state oversight could delay responsible AI development, saying such restrictions may "hold us back"12.
The unified Democratic opposition to Trump's tax bill gives Republican opponents leverage, as the party can afford to lose only three GOP senators3.
