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A bipartisan group of U.S. Senators and Attorneys General are raising alarm over a proposed 10-year moratorium that would block states from regulating artificial intelligence (AI), calling the measure harmful to consumers and detrimental to responsible AI development.

During a virtual press conference held Wednesday, U.S. Senators Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), along with Washington Attorney General Nick Brown and Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti, voiced strong opposition to a provision buried in the current budget reconciliation bill. The provision, if passed, would prohibit states from enforcing or introducing any AI-related regulations for a decade—even in the absence of federal protections.

“We need a national AI standard,” said Sen. Blackburn, “but until then, our states are stepping up to protect people. A 10-year regulatory freeze would leave Americans vulnerable to unchecked technology.”

Sen. Cantwell, ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, warned the moratorium could erase dozens of existing consumer protections targeting AI misuse, bias, and data exploitation.

“This proposal is very problematic,” Cantwell said. “We should be protecting consumers—not enabling AI-driven fraud or theft.”

The bipartisan coalition emphasized the importance of existing and emerging state-level AI laws, including Tennessee’s Elvis Act, which protects artists’ voices from unauthorized AI-generated impersonations.

AG Skrmetti cautioned, “If states are silenced for 10 years, consumers will be at the mercy of Big Tech. Technology moves fast, but unfortunately, federal regulation doesn’t.”

While some lawmakers, including House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), argue the moratorium is needed to avoid a “patchwork” of AI regulations, the officials countered that this one-size-fits-all freeze would stall crucial safeguards.

AG Brown added, “Yes, federal government can preempt. But doing so without offering alternative protections leaves a dangerous vacuum.”

The officials also criticized the tactic of tying state broadband funding to moratorium compliance, calling it coercive and unrelated to budgetary impact. Sen. Cantwell has submitted materials to the Senate parliamentarian questioning the provision’s legitimacy under the Byrd Rule, which governs reconciliation content.

“This moratorium represents a massive shift in public policy,” said Blackburn. “And reconciliation bills are not the place for it.”

Both senators reaffirmed their commitment to developing responsible federal AI legislation but underscored the urgent need to preserve states’ ability to act in the meantime.