Overview

• The House approved the $4.9 trillion tax and spending package on May 22 by a 215-214 vote, with two Republicans joining all Democrats in opposition.
• A provision imposes a 10-year moratorium on state and local AI regulations, blocking existing and future rules except those designed to streamline AI deployment.
• Senators Josh Hawley of Missouri and Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee argue the ban undermines federalism by preventing states from piloting tailored AI oversight frameworks.
• Legal experts such as Professor Margaret Hu caution that courts could invalidate the moratorium under the Constitution’s Supremacy Clause in the absence of a comprehensive federal AI law.
• With the package now before the Senate, Majority Leader John Thune has suggested that significant changes to the House text are unlikely before final consideration.