Senate Commerce Chair Ted Cruz is still optimistic that his twice-delayed markup on artificial intelligence legislation will happen before the midterms — and that the centerpiece bill will be a yet-to-be-finalized bipartisan measure to stave off catastrophic risks posed by the evolving technology.
“It’s still my hope to have an AI markup this session,” the Texas Republican told reporters Wednesday.
Cruz added that senators are “actively negotiating through provisions” in a proposal from Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) and Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota to establish guardrails for the most powerful models.
“My hope is that we will get bipartisan agreement and be able to move the bill,” he continued. “We’re not there yet, but we’re making progress.”
He declined to elaborate on sticking points.
Cruz had been eyeing July for an AI markup, but he postponed it by a week, only to then postpone it again and proceed with consideration of only bills related to kids’ online safety. But Cruz is facing new pressure after AI safety researchers and CEOs from the leading labs have over the past week warned that humans are at risk of extinction if the technological advancements remain unchecked.
The Senate is due to recess at the end of the month until after the November elections, however, so time is running out for action. One Senate Commerce Committee Republican, granted anonymity to speak candidly, expressed doubt on the panel holding a markup before the break, noting that the Thune-Klobuchar bill isn’t yet finalized.
Earlier in the day Wednesday, Thune told reporters that he was unsure that the Commerce Committee markup would happen this month, noting other committee activity is possible.
“Well, I don’t know if the markup does, but I think there are going to be a number of formats where folks are going to sit down and sort of hack out what our role ought to be and what the real threat looks like, how serious it is and all that,” he said of the ongoing debate over how involved Congress should be in regulating the AI industry.
Thune also said it “remains to be seen” if senators would receive an AI briefing of some kind in the coming days. “I think there are going to be a number of things done at the committee level.”
Sens. John Curtis (R-Utah) and Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), both members of the Commerce Committee, on Wednesday issued a statement calling for “immediate public hearings” on AI.
Senators are discussing avenues for action on AI the same day House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) announced he was sending lawmakers home a day early for the pre-midterms recess — after already canceling the last scheduled two weeks of session.
A key House Republican working on AI legislation, Rep. Jay Obernolte of California, is now looking to November for a hearing and markup on his bipartisan AI safety bill with Rep. Lori Trahan (D-Mass.), as House Energy and Commerce Chair Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.) seemed to throw cold water on the idea the bill could move this year during the POLITICO Decoded Summit earlier in the day.
“Yeah, we’ll see,” Obernolte said in response. “[Guthrie] was noncommittal, as he ought to be, but he certainly didn’t say that it wasn’t going to be this year.”
Jordain Carney and Mia McCarthy contributed to this report.
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