A recent attempt to insert a ban on state-level AI regulation into an annual defense bill has been rejected following bipartisan pushback. According to reports, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise stated that Republican leaders will seek other legislative avenues to include the measure, which President Trump has supported.
This proposal to prevent states from enacting their own AI rules comes months after GOP lawmakers tried to include a ten-year moratorium on state AI laws in a major tax and spending bill earlier this year. That provision also failed due to strong resistance from both parties.
Silicon Valley interests have backed these preemption measures, contending that a patchwork of state regulations would be unworkable and stifle innovation. Critics counter that state AI legislation largely focuses on safety, transparency, and consumer protections. They argue that blocking state rules in the absence of comparable federal laws would effectively cede control to large technology companies without any oversight.
Scalise reportedly conceded that the defense bill was not the appropriate vehicle for such a provision and reiterated Trump’s prior calls to introduce the ban as separate legislation. A leaked draft executive order indicates Trump is considering unilateral action on this issue, though those efforts are said to be paused for now.