That a Republican and a Democrat sponsored the Kill Switch bill shows “there is a path for this bill and other bills that focus on protecting Americans from loss-of-control incidents and other national security threats,” said Brendan Steinhauser, CEO of The Alliance for Secure AI, a nonprofit based in Washington, D.C., that aims to build bipartisan support for AI safeguards. Steinhauser also has worked as a Republican strategist.
By Meghan Friedmann
During its recent legislative session, Louisiana parked many bipartisan bills regulating artificial intelligence after President Donald Trump’s administration urged states against passing them, arguing that it would be better to have a national regulatory framework.
So far, Congress and the president — who also threatened states’ broadband funding to stop them from passing certain AI regulations — have taken a mostly hands-off approach. But as AI causes rising public concern across the political spectrum — and with midterm elections on the horizon — pressure is mounting on Congress to act.
Though many politicians on both sides of the aisle say that at least some AI regulations are necessary, the exact nature of the laws Congress may pass remains murky.
Top Republican members of Louisiana’s congressional delegation have offered few details on measures they would support, as have major candidates for Louisiana’s two wide-open congressional seats. And many politicians have argued that too many regulations would stifle innovation and hobble the United States in its race against China.
“As we see abuses (of AI) we will make sure we address them, but you also don’t want to limit innovation,” House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, a Louisiana Republican, told the press on Aug. 7 after qualifying to run for reelection in November.
“One thing government really likes to do a good job of is regulating to the point where they crush innovation, and you’ve seen that in a lot of industry,” he added. “Luckily the technology industry moves so fast that government hasn’t figured out how to regulate it into extermination, and it’s one of the reasons why it’s probably the fastest-growing industry in America, and one of the areas America dominates the world.”
How Congress handles AI could influence Louisiana’s legislative session next year, as some state lawmakers, including Republicans and Democrats, have expressed interest in reconsidering some AI regulations if Congress does not step in.
Over the past year, AI has grown ever more prevalent in American society, raising questions about how to responsibly use the technology, which impacts everything from healthcare, education and journalism to political campaigns and warfare.
AI is already being used to record and transcribe doctors’ visits and review health insurance claims. Accusations that AI systems are harvesting user data to help companies price items differently for individual shoppers have caused widespread concern. And observers worried about national security note that AI can create viruses and has major implications for modern warfare.
The mood in D.C.
In recent weeks, news has surfaced that advanced AI systems for three of the country’s leading AI firms broke out of their controls, went beyond human instructions and hacked other companies. The tech giants involved in those incidents were Meta, Anthropic and OpenAI.
The breaches have sparked major cybersecurity concerns and alarmed members of Congress from both parties, prompting renewed calls for regulation.
Last month, U.S. Rep. Ted Lieu, a Democrat from California, and U.S. Rep. Nathaniel Moran, a Republican from Texas, introduced a “Kill Switch” bill that would require developers to maintain ways to shut down AI systems to prevent them from causing catastrophic harm.
It would also authorize the Department of Homeland Security to order the slowdown or shutdown of an AI system in order to prevent such harm.
The bipartisan measure, along with apparent changes in the Trump administration’s approach to AI, may be a sign that regulations are ahead.
That a Republican and a Democrat sponsored the Kill Switch bill shows “there is a path for this bill and other bills that focus on protecting Americans from loss of control incidents and other national security threats,” said Brendan Steinhauser, CEO of The Alliance for Secure AI, a nonprofit based in Washington, D.C., that aims to build bipartisan support for AI safeguards. Steinhauser also has worked as a Republican strategist.
Response from Trump, top Louisiana politicians
The fate of AI regulations also depends on congressional leadership, the midterm elections and what stance Trump takes.
For now, Louisiana has two of Congress’ highest-ranking officials in its delegation: Scalise, the House majority leader, and House Speaker Mike Johnson. Both are Republicans.
Spokespeople for Johnson and Scalise did not answer questions about whether the congressmen would support the Kill Switch bill.
Johnson’s spokesperson shared remarks the speaker made earlier this year, in which he said he supported national guardrails to protect Americans but that the federal government should “regulate only where we must and pave the way for American dominance.”
U.S. Rep. Troy Carter, who is likely to be the only Louisiana Democrat in Congress after the midterm elections, also did not answer a question about whether he supported the Kill Switch bill. He did, however, issue a statement saying he supports measures that would require AI chatbots to disclose to children that they are not real human beings, along with regulations that would protect Americans from AI abuse and from being deceived by AI-generated content.
In previous statements, both Johnson and Scalise have expressed support for regulations that align with Trump’s plans.
In March, the Trump administration released its AI policy agenda, which says Congress should block state AI laws that “impose undue burdens” in order to ensure “a minimally burdensome national standard” that promotes American dominance in the technology. But the framework endorses regulations that protect children, and it suggests there is also room for laws that protect consumers, prevent fraud and govern the placement of AI infrastructure.
Throughout much of his term, Trump has been reluctant to curb the use of AI, arguing that restrictions would hinder U.S. innovation. The president has strong ties to tech billionaires, and tech companies donated millions of dollars to his reelection bid and inauguration.
But Steinhauser said there are signs that the White House is shifting its approach — and he believes that concerns about AI from Trump’s base may push the president toward regulations.
Trump recently issued an executive order establishing a national framework for the government to test advanced AI models before their release, though that testing is voluntary. And in June, the Trump administration temporarily halted the release of one of Anthropic’s AI models due to cybersecurity concerns.
The White House did not answer a question about whether the president would support the Kill Switch bill, but a White House official did issue a general statement citing the national policy framework the Trump administration released in March.
“The Trump Administration is committed to implementing a comprehensive AI framework that serves all Americans,” the statement said. “This approach will protect children, prevent censorship, respect intellectual property, and safeguard communities while ensuring America remains the undisputed leader in AI and technological innovation.”
The statement also reaffirmed the president’s strong opposition to “restrictive” state regulations.
AI and the race for Congress
AI is becoming a focal point in the midterm elections, especially as opposition to AI data centers crops up across the country. A Gallup poll recently found that 70% of Americans oppose the construction of such data centers in their local communities, and data center development has become a key issue in the Texas governor’s race.
Louisiana has two wide-open congressional seats, both of which favor Republicans. Those seats are in the Fifth and Sixth districts; in the Fifth, Meta’s plan to build a massive data center — and the power needs associated with that plan — has stoked controversy across the state.
It is unclear how prominently AI will feature in Louisiana’s congressional races. The fields are crowded, with nine candidates in the Fifth District and 10 candidates in the Sixth District; after qualifying for those races earlier this month, most candidates said there ought to be some national regulations on AI.
In the Fifth District, state Sen. Stewart Cathey, R-Monroe, and state Rep. Michael Echols, R-Monroe, both said AI needs guardrails — but that those guardrails should not be overly burdensome.
State Rep. Gabe Firment, R-Pollock, said he was committed to putting a national framework in place to keep AI from being abused; and Misti Cordell, another Republican who chairs the Board of Regents, said she was concerned about how quickly AI was advancing; the country needs to find a way to manage it, she added.
Those four Republicans have the best odds of winning the Fifth District race.
State Rep. Pat Moore, D-Monroe, who is the only major Democrat in the running, said AI was an important tool but that regulations were needed to minimize the harm it could cause.
The Sixth District’s biggest candidates are state Sen. Blake Miguez, R-New Iberia, and state Sen. Rick Edmonds, R-Baton Rouge.
Edmonds said he would work hard to protect constituents while also ensuring Louisiana could reap the economic benefits of AI.
Miguez called AI the “new space race” and said it was imperative that the United States stay ahead of China in that race, but that he would work to protect children from harms associated with AI and to prevent utility costs from going up because of data centers.
Lindsay Rubia Garcia, one of three Democrats vying for the Sixth District seat, said she did not oppose AI but felt “we are going too fast without the regulational safeguards.”
Garcia, a former teacher and recent law school graduate, won the Louisiana Democrats’ endorsement when she was running for the Fifth District earlier this year, before the state delayed elections and redrew its congressional map.
In a statement, Chauna Banks, another Democrat running in the Sixth District, said she would support a bipartisan approach to AI that “protects the public, preserves constitutional rights, encourages American innovation, and holds bad actors accountable without creating unnecessary barriers.” Banks previously served on the Baton Rouge Metro Council.
And Pat Forbes, a Democratic candidate who worked for the state for 20 years, mostly handling disaster recovery efforts, shared a concern that differed from those many of the other candidates expressed: he was worried AI would widen the wealth gap in the country.
“How can we with good conscience not look at that and pass laws that make sure (AI) benefits the country and the people of the country, and not just some billionaires?” he said.