Latest news with #BudgetReconciliationBill
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Dozens of Organizations Push Back Against Bill That Would Ban All AI Regulation
The latest version of the Republicans' Budget Reconciliation Bill — the "one big, beautiful bill," as President Trump has called it — includes a clause that would ban all AI regulation in the US at the state level for a full decade. Over 100 organizations, CNN reports, are calling for lawmakers not to pass it. According to CNN, 141 policy groups, academic institutions, unions, and other organizations have signed a letter demanding that legislators in Washington walk back the sweeping deregulatory provision, urging that the bill would allow AI companies to run wild without safeguards or accountability — regardless of any negative impact their technology might have on American citizens. The letter warns that under the proposal, Americans would have no way to institute regulatory safeguards around and against AI systems as they "increasingly shape critical aspects of Americans' lives," including in areas like "hiring, housing, healthcare, policing, and financial services." There aren't any exceptions outlined in the bill, which declares instead that "no State or political subdivision thereof may enforce any law or regulation regulating artificial intelligence models, artificial intelligence systems, or automated decision systems during the ten year period beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act," as 404 Media was first to flag last week. "The AI preemption provision is a dangerous giveaway to Big Tech CEOs who have bet everything on a society where unfinished, unaccountable AI is prematurely forced into every aspect of our lives," Emily Peterson-Cassin of the nonprofit Demand Progress, whose organization wrote the letter, told CNN. In the letter, the groups emphasize that such a drastic moratorium on regulatory action would mean that even in cases where a company "deliberately designs an algorithm that causes foreseeable harm — regardless of how intentional or egregious the misconduct or how devastating the consequences — the company making that bad tech would be unaccountable to lawmakers and the public." Transformational new technologies can be riddled with unknown, chaotic, and sometimes quite destructive outcomes. And as the writers of the letter note, regulation can serve to fuel innovation, and not stifle it by way of a thousand Silicon Valley lobbying-dollar-funded cuts. "Protecting people from being harmed by new technologies," reads the letter, "including by holding companies accountable when they cause harm, ultimately spurs innovation and adoption of new technologies." "We will only reap the benefits of AI," it continues, "if people have a reason to trust it." More on the bill: New Law Would Ban All AI Regulation for a Decade
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
TN Attorney General co-leads letter opposing amendment that would limit state AI regulation
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti is looking to keep Artificial Intelligence regulations up to the states. On Friday, Skrmetti joined a coalition of 36 other state attorneys general in leading a letter to oppose a federal ban on state regulation of AI products. The letter warns that an amendment added in the Budget Reconciliation Bill by the U.S. House and Energy and Commerce Committee would impose a 10-year ban on states from enforcing 'any state law or regulation addressing AI and automated decision-making systems.' FBI issues warning about AI voice impersonations of US officials According to the attorneys general, the bill will affect hundreds of existing and pending state laws that were passed and considered by both Republican and Democrat state legislatures. Skrmetti's office said states have been at the forefront of keeping consumers protected from the dangers of AI. 'The combined efforts of the states and the federal government have been, at best, barely enough to protect consumers from Big Tech,' said Skrmetti. 'AI has incredible potential but amplifies every risk we've seen from Big Tech and creates new risks we don't fully understand. Eliminating state oversight through this reconciliation amendment guarantees Americans will suffer repeated violations of their privacy, consumer protection, and antitrust laws.' ⏩ The bipartisan letter urges Congress to reject the amendment, stating that it would 'leave Americans entirely unprotected from the potential harms of AI' and would wipe any state-level frameworks that are already in place. To read the entire letter, . Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Newsweek
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
Trump's Proposed Bill Could Leave Millions of Medicaid Patients Uninsured
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The congressional budget reconciliation bill has been sent back for a rework, but measures around reforming Medicaid already passed through its committee, meaning those measures are unlikely to change. Why It Matters Millions of Americans are at risk of losing access to Medicaid under the proposed legislation, which passed the House Energy and Commerce Committee (HECC). Representative Brett Guthrie, a Kentucky Republican and chair of the HECC, insisted that the changes will "strengthen and sustain" Medicaid for the future, calling them "common sense." What Is The Budget Reconciliation Bill? The Republicans are looking to pass a single reconciliation bill that would push through a number of President Donald Trump's major policies, including tax cuts, immigration enforcement and changes to Medicaid. Reconciliation is a process that allows a bill to pass with a simple majority rather than the usual two-thirds required, which is something Republicans need to pass the bill considering the thin majorities in the House and the Senate. However, that still requires all Republicans to vote together on the bill, and just a couple of dissenters can derail the entire effort. President Donald Trump speaks during a business meeting and roundtable in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, on May 16, 2025. President Donald Trump speaks during a business meeting and roundtable in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, on May 16, 2025. AP Photo/Altaf Qadri How It Impacts Medicaid Users The reconciliation bill as proposed would see several groups impacted. Chiefly, the bill would cut Medicaid access to immigrants who lack legal status in the U.S., with cuts to funding for states that allow illegal immigrants to enroll in the program. The bill also looks to require able-bodied adults under age 65 to complete a minimum number of paid work hours or community engagement to qualify for Medicaid benefits. The bill also includes mandated eligibility redeterminations at least every six months for adults covered by the Medicaid expansion. Previously, recipients needed to check in once a year. The bill also will prohibit funds from going to Planned Parenthood and fund-matching for "gender transition procedures," including puberty blockers, hormone treatments and surgeries. What Is The Status Of The Bill? The bill was kicked back to the floor after the House Budget Committee voted 21-16, forcing Republicans to take another run at the bill before trying to vote on it again. Representative Chip Roy of Texas, a Republican member of the House Budget Committee, said the proposed bill fell short of his expectations and requires "serious reform." Representative Bobby Scott of Virginia, a Democrat, criticized the bill for increasing the deficit if it passed, going against the much-touted goal of the Republican Party and the White House to significantly reduce spending. What Has Donald Trump Said About The Bill? Trump has continually championed getting his budget passed as "one, big, beautiful bill," but following the failure to advance the bill past the budget committee, Trump took to Truth Social to urge another, more unified effort. "Republicans MUST UNITE behind, "THE ONE, BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL!" Not only does it cut Taxes for ALL Americans, but it will kick millions of Illegal Aliens off of Medicaid to PROTECT it for those who are the ones in real need," Trump wrote. "The Country will suffer greatly without this Legislation, with their Taxes going up 65 percent," Trump continued. "It will be blamed on the Democrats, but that doesn't help our Voters. We don't need "GRANDSTANDERS" in the Republican Party. STOP TALKING, AND GET IT DONE! It is time to fix the MESS that Biden and the Democrats gave us. Thank you for your attention to this matter!" This article includes reporting from The Associated Press.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
New Law Would Ban All AI Regulation for a Decade
Republican lawmakers slipped language into the Budget Reconciliation Bill this week that would ban AI regulation, on the federal and state levels, for a decade, as 404 Media reports. An updated version of the bill introduced last night by Congressman Brett Guthrie (R-KY), who chairs the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, includes a new and sweeping clause about AI advancement declaring that "no State or political subdivision thereof may enforce any law or regulation regulating artificial intelligence models, artificial intelligence systems, or automated decision systems during the ten year period beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act." It's a remarkably expansive provision that, as 404 notes, likely reflects the engraining of Silicon Valley figures and influences into Washington and the White House. Tech CEOs have vied for president Donald Trump's attention since he was inaugurated, and the American tech industry writ large has become a fierce and powerful lobbying force. The Trump administration is also stacked with AI-invested tech moguls like David Sacks, Marc Andreessen, and Elon Musk. Meanwhile, the impacts of a regulation-free AI landscape are already being felt. Emotive, addictive AI companions have been rolled out explicitly to teenagers without evidence of safety, AI companies are missing their climate targets and spewing unchecked emissions into American neighborhoods, and nonconsensual deepfakes of women and girls are flooding social media. No regulation will likely mean a lot more fresh hell where that came from — and little chance of stemming the tide. The update in the proposed law also seeks to appropriate a staggering $500 million over ten years to fund efforts to infuse the federal government's IT systems with "commercial" AI tech and unnamed "automation technologies." In other words, not only does the government want to completely stifle efforts to regulate a fast-developing technology, it also wants to integrate those unregulated technologies into the beating digital heart of the federal government. The bill also comes after states including New York and California have worked to pass some limited AI regulations, as 404 notes. Were the bill to be signed into law, it would seemingly render those laws — which, for instance, ensure that employers review AI hiring tools for bias — unenforceable. As it stands, the bill is in limbo. The proposal is massive, and includes drastic spending cuts to services like Medicaid and climate funds, slashes that Democrats largely oppose; Republican budget hawks, meanwhile, have raised concerns over the bill's hefty price tag. Whether it survives in its current form — its controversial AI provisions included — remains to be seen. More on AI and regulation: Signs Grow That AI Is Starting to Seriously Bite Into the Job Market
Yahoo
08-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Bernie Sanders Says 'We Must Not Savage Programs For Working Families To Provide Huge Tax Breaks For Billionaires'
U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, (I-VT), recently took to social media to voice his concerns about proposed Republican policies and executive orders from the Trump administration that he argues would harm working families in favor of adding more to billionaires wallets. In a video Sanders recently posted on TikTok, he outlined the current political landscape and urged Americans to take action against what he sees as a shift toward oligarchy and authoritarianism. Sanders emphasized the growing wealth gap in the U.S. by pointing out that since Donald Trump was elected as president again, billionaires like Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and Mark Zuckerberg have seen their wealth increase by over $200 billion. He argued that the men, who stood behind Trump at his inauguration last month, represent a system that is becoming increasingly controlled by the ultra-wealthy. Don't Miss:How do billionaires pay less in income tax than you?. One primary concern that Sanders voiced is the Republican-backed Budget Reconciliation Bill. He claimed that this legislation would deliver significant tax cuts to the wealthiest Americans while making cuts to critical programs like Medicaid. "At a time of unprecedented income and wealth inequality, when so many of our people are struggling to put food on the table, we must not savage programs for working families to provide huge tax breaks for billionaires," he said. In his video, Sanders said that proposed cuts to Medicaid and other federal assistance programs would disproportionately impact low-income Americans. He said that Trump's recent call for a federal funding freeze, which was quickly overturned by the courts, could have serious impacts on programs like Head Start, food assistance, and support for homeless veterans. "Tens of millions of Americans, some of the most vulnerable people in our country, were impacted by that decision," he said. Trending: Can you guess how many Americans successfully retire with $1,000,000 saved?. Sanders also expressed strong opposition to potential privatization efforts in Medicare and the failure to raise the federal minimum wage, which currently stands at $7.25 per hour. He argued that raising the minimum wage to at least $17 per hour is necessary to ensure that full-time workers can afford basic living expenses. While Sanders has called for action against these policy proposals, Republican leaders argue that tax cuts are necessary to stimulate economic growth and encourage job creation. Supporters of the Budget Reconciliation Bill contend that reducing government spending will help address the national debt and increase financial sustainability. Similarly, proponents of stricter immigration enforcement believe that stronger border policies will enhance national security and protect job opportunities for American workers. On the issue of housing, Sanders advocates for increased investment in low-income housing projects, whereas some lawmakers emphasize deregulation and private sector solutions as a way to address affordability concerns. These differing approaches highlight the broader debate over the role of government in economic and social concluded his remarks by urging unity among working-class Americans, emphasizing that collective action is the key to achieving meaningful change. "If we stand together and oppose right-wing efforts to divide us up by our race, by our religion, our sexual orientation, or where we were born, if we stand together, there is nothing that we cannot accomplish," he said. As debates over tax policy, social programs, and economic inequality continue, differing perspectives will shape the direction of policy decisions in the coming months. Sanders' message serves as a call for civic engagement and political activism, while lawmakers from both sides of the aisle continue to advocate for their respective policy priorities. Read Next:The average American couple has saved this much money for retirement —? UNLOCKED: 5 NEW TRADES EVERY WEEK. Click now to get top trade ideas daily, plus unlimited access to cutting-edge tools and strategies to gain an edge in the markets. Get the latest stock analysis from Benzinga? APPLE (AAPL): Free Stock Analysis Report TESLA (TSLA): Free Stock Analysis Report This article Bernie Sanders Says 'We Must Not Savage Programs For Working Families To Provide Huge Tax Breaks For Billionaires' originally appeared on © 2025 Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
