Budget Bill: Reject 10-year Federal Moratorium on AI Regulation - People First

Today I take pen in hand to write and express my strong opposition to the inclusion of a federal moratorium on AI regulation — specifically the section titled TITLE IV-ENERGY AND COMMERCE (part II: AI Section, (c)Moratorium) — added just recently by Rep. Brett Guthrie to the 2025 Budget Reconciliation Bill. This provision would block states from enacting or enriching laws regulating generative AI for a decade. That would strip away vital protections just as these technologies are rapidly evolving and impacting people’s livelihoods, privacy, and security/safety. It’s highly hypocritical for lawmakers who claim to champion state’s rights to now push a sweeping federal ban that denies states the ability to regulate AI technologies in ways that best serve their residents. This ban would block critical legislation such as California AB412 and other thoughtful state-level bills that aim to combat deepfakes, algorithmic bias, and unchecked exploitation of creative and personal data. For many constituents that work in creative industries, protections around generative AI aren’t just regulatory, they’re a matter of survival. AI tools can be abused. We’ve seen this in many ways: One example is deepfake pornography, clone voices for phone scams, and used to replace artists and writers without consent or compensation. State legislatures must retain this ability to address these harms directly and swiftly. Instead I urge you to: • Publicly oppose this section of the reconciliation bill • Demand its removal before the bill advances further • Stand with your constituents who deserve safeguards Please protect our rights, privacy and ability to create. Don’t allow Congress to trade real protections for Big Tech lobbying pressure. Thank you for your attention to this critical matter.