Big Tech’s desperate last push at AI regulation

Big Tech lobbyists are making a final push for a federal AI preemption law, but the effort has become entangled with a contentious child safety bill, creating confusion on Capitol Hill as the legislative calendar narrows. The White House is proposing linking AI preemption with the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA), a move one Republican lobbyist described as a "shotgun marriage" between child safety and AI boosters [1]. The potential deal hit a snag because the White House had not informed House Republicans about its plan to endorse Sen. Marsha Blackburn's legislation, leaving Democrats who worked on the Senate version also out of the loop [1]. "No one knows really who's driving this thing," a Republican lobbyist for a midsize tech company told The Verge. "Everyone is deeply, deeply, deeply skeptical of [the bill's] movement, because everyone is on such different pages. I think the House is not going to move anything that Blackburn wants" [1]. The Senate's version of KOSA, which passed 91–3 in 2024, would require tech companies to assume a "duty of care" to protect young users [1]. The House version, spearheaded by Majority Leader Steve Scalise, diluted that provision, angering child safety advocates [1]. Michael Toscano of the Institute for Family Studies noted that Blackburn "genuinely does not want House KOSA" [1]. President Donald Trump has called for passage of an AI preemption bill, but the Republican Party must navigate internal divisions to make it happen [1]. The White House's proposed draft of a comprehensive AI law includes some of the values called the "Four Cs" by Mike Davis—children, conservatives, creators, and communities—but Davis insists all four must be addressed. "There is no chance in hell AI preemption will pass if it does not address the Four Cs. I will make damn sure of that. Again," Davis said [1]. The legislative calendar compounds the difficulty. "It is mid June. You have a month and a half before people leave for recess," an AI policy advocate said, noting the upcoming five-week break before general election season [1]. The remaining weeks are already consumed by other priorities, including an immigration crackdown package and increased defense spending [1]. The broader political context is shaped by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed into law by Trump on July 4, 2025, which permanently extended individual tax rates and included $150 billion in new defense spending alongside $150 billion for border enforcement [2]. As of May 2026, Congress has appropriated $170 billion to immigration enforcement, with an additional $70 billion proposed [6]. Austin Carson, former head of Nvidia's government relations and founder of SeedAI, expressed doubt about the combined bill's prospects. "I can't imagine a scenario where [this bill] would move," he said. "I cannot imagine it" [1]. The Republican tech lobbyist added that if Democrats take one chamber after the election, "what incentive do the Democrats have to support anything?" [1].