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Senator Marsha Blackburn has rescinded her backing for a proposed five-year pause on state and local artificial intelligence legislation, just a day after reaching the deal with Senate Commerce Chair Ted Cruz.
Blackburn’s decision places her alongside Senators Josh Hawley of Missouri and Rand Paul of Kentucky, who have also voiced opposition to the measure.
In a statement released Tuesday, Blackburn emphasized, “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.”
She further warned, “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.”
The original compromise crafted by Blackburn and Cruz had been approved by the Senate parliamentarian.
On Monday, Senators Maria Cantwell of Washington and Ed Markey of Massachusetts introduced an amendment to strip the AI moratorium from the larger bill.
Blackburn signed on as a co-sponsor that evening and began preparing her own amendment aimed at eliminating the moratorium entirely.
According to a Senate Democratic aide, Senators Susan Collins of Maine, Cantwell, and Markey are co-sponsoring Blackburn’s amendment.
The Senate voted overwhelmingly, 99-1, to remove the moratorium by adopting Blackburn’s amendment during a lengthy session filled with proposed changes to the legislation.
Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina cast the sole vote in favor of keeping the ban.
The original Senate proposal linked restrictions on state AI regulation to eligibility for a $500 million federal fund dedicated to AI infrastructure.
Large technology firms such as Google’s parent company, Alphabet, and OpenAI have voiced support for federal oversight of AI, arguing that state-by-state rules could stifle innovation.
Blackburn introduced her amendment after previously agreeing with Cruz on compromise language that would have limited the moratorium to five years and permitted states to enact measures addressing issues like child online safety or protections for artists, provided they did not impose an “undue or disproportionate burden” on AI.
She ultimately abandoned this compromise before the amendment came to a vote.
“The current language is not acceptable to those who need these protections the most,” Blackburn reiterated in her statement. She added, “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.”
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Author: Dan Frieth
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