Guthrie Promotes National AI Standard, Supports Moratorium
'We have to beat China,' GOP lawmaker said.
WASHINGTON, June 24, 2025 – House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Rep. Brett Guthrie, R-Ky., said Tuesday he hopes the AI moratorium will pass in the Senate, emphasizing the need for a federal standard to regulate AI development and ensure U.S. leadership in the AI race.
Speaking at a Media Institute luncheon here, Guthrie responded to a question from Broadband Breakfast about the inclusion of the 10-year AI moratorium in the final reconciliation bill, and whether Congress would pass the legislation before the alleged July 4 deadline.
Guthrie defended the moratorium, stating it had been part of the reconciliation package from the beginning and should not have come as a surprise.
FROM SPEEDING BEAD SUMMIT
Panel 1: How Are States Thinking About Reasonable Costs Now?
Panel 2: Finding the State Versus Federal Balance in BEAD
Panel 3: Reacting to the New BEAD NOFO Guidance
Panel 4: Building, Maintaining and Adopting Digital Workforce Skills
He argued the AI moratorium could significantly enhance the nation’s AI development.
“We have to beat China,” he declared. “And to do that we need four things. We have the brain power, we have the capital, what we need is the energy, and the right regulatory structure.”
Guthrie argued AI regulation fell under his committee’s jurisdiction via the Commerce Clause, declaring the issue requires a national standard.
He also addressed criticism from state leaders who have already enacted their own AI laws.
“We’re not going to substitute something with nothing,” Guthrie stated, responding to critics of the moratorium.
Although he expressed support for the moratorium, Guthrie acknowledged uncertainty about whether the moratorium will last the full 10 years, declaring the moratorium only needs enough time for the Energy and Commerce Committee to create a federal AI standard.
Earlier in his remarks, Guthrie also called for modernization of media regulations. He criticized legacy regulations, blaming them for the recent failings of local broadcasters, and called for updates to the 1992 Cable Act.
Guthrie concluded his remarks with a warning about the implications of China’s AI developments.
“It's either going to be us or it's going to be China,” he stated. “We have to regulate in a way that's smart. The point is we all need to work together, and we all need to figure out what the right solutions are. So we deliver to the American consumer in a way that's protected for them.”
On Saturday, the Senate Parliamentarian ruled the 10-year AI moratorium met Senate budgetary rules, increasing the likelihood that the moratorium will be included in the reconciliation bill.
