Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) cheered the Senate’s decision Tuesday to remove a provision from Republicans’ sweeping tax bill that would have barred states from regulating artificial intelligence (AI), calling it a “huge win for federalism.”
Despite initially voting for the House version of the bill containing the AI moratorium, Greene has since become a vocal opponent of the measure, arguing it violates states’ rights.
“I told the White House I couldn’t support the One Big Beautiful Bill with the AI moratorium inside,” she wrote Tuesday on the social platform X, shortly before the Senate sent the tax package back to the House.
“Banning states from regulating AI for 10 years is a gift to Big Tech and a disaster for American workers and states’ rights,” Greene continued. “Thanks to Senator @MarshaBlackburn, we got it OUT. That’s a huge win for federalism and the America First agenda.”
She offered her thanks to Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) for spearheading the amendment that ultimately removed the measure early Tuesday.
“I just want to thank Sen. Marsha Blackburn,” Greene told former White House aide Steve Bannon in a clip shared alongside her comments. “She did an incredible job. She has not had any sleep yet. She stayed up all night long fighting to get the AI moratorium out, and I’m really grateful for her fight.”
“I had told the White House I couldn’t for it,” she said. “There’s no way I can destroy states’ rights, and there’s no way I can let AI have free rein and the potential destruction that it could have for 10 years without states being able to protect themselves and the people that live there and their jobs and their children.”
The removal of the AI provision marked a sharp reversal, as the measure appeared poised to sail forward after Blackburn struck a deal with Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee Chair Ted Cruz (R-Texas) on new language late Sunday.
The updated provision barred states from regulating AI for five years, down from 10 years, and featured exemptions for child online safety and publicity rights.
However, Blackburn pulled her support Monday evening, saying the new language was still “not acceptable.” She instead offered up an amendment to strip the AI moratorium from the GOP’s reconciliation bill, which passed 99-1 early Tuesday.
Cruz lamented on the Senate floor that their agreement was “set to pass” and Trump was on board, but “outside interests opposed the deal.” He got behind Blackburn’s amendment, acknowledging that “many of my colleagues would prefer not to vote on this matter.”
