US Senate Drops Proposed Moratorium on State AI Laws in Budget Vote
Justin Hendrix / Jul 1, 2025
US Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) departs the Senate floor at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on June 30, 2025. Senators began voting Monday on President Donald Trump's flagship spending bill. (Photo by JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images)
Early Tuesday morning, the United States Senate voted 99-1 to pass an amendment to the budget bill removing the proposed 10-year moratorium on the enforcement of state laws on artificial intelligence.
The introduction of the amendment, put forward by Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Maria Cantwell (R-WA), signaled the failure of a compromise between Blackburn and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) that would have reduced the duration of the moratorium and adjusted its language.
In a statement, Blackburn explained her reasoning:
While I appreciate Chairman Cruz’s efforts to find acceptable language that allows states to protect their citizens from the abuses of AI, the current language is not acceptable to those who need these protections the most. This provision could allow Big Tech to continue to exploit kids, creators, and conservatives. Until Congress passes federally preemptive legislation like the Kids Online Safety Act and an online privacy framework, we can’t block states from making laws that protect their citizens.
Politico reported that “A visibly frustrated Cruz blamed outside interests for the deal collapsing as he urged the chamber to remove it from the underlying bill.” Cruz may attempt to advance the moratorium concept in separate legislation in the future. He discussed the prospect at a Senate Commerce committee hearing in May.
The passage of the amendment followed growing opposition to the moratorium that cut across party lines. Consumer groups, unions, civil rights groups, faith-based organizations, and state legislators and attorneys general all lined up against it.
Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) cast the sole vote against the amendment.
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