Aug 26, 2025

Marsha Blackburn

U.S. Senator, Tennessee

Andrew R. Chow

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Correspondent

Photo-Illustration by TIME (Source Photo: Hannah Beier—Bloomberg/Getty Images)

This summer, the U.S. Congress came very close to freezing all AI regulation at the state level. Senate Republicans, led by Ted Cruz, campaigned for a 10-year moratorium that would severely punish any state that passed laws regulating AI. Industry insiders had been pushing the provision for months, arguing that a conflicting patchwork of state laws would stifle innovation.

But critics argued that the provision would leave the public vulnerable to many AI harms. And Marsha Blackburn, a Trump-supporting Republican from Tennessee, was particularly interested in these arguments, given that two of her core issues are kids’ safety online—which AI deepfakes threatens—and the protection of the Nashville music industry.

Initially, Blackburn attempted to forge a compromise with Cruz, with key carveouts for these issues. But after loud criticism, especially from those in the kids online safety community, the senator pulled her support, saying that it could “allow Big Tech to continue to exploit kids, creators, and conservatives.” Without Blackburn’s vote, the provision became politically untenable, and the entire Republican party waved the white flag, killing it in a 99-1 vote.

Blackburn’s move has major consequences, as states are pushing forward ambitious AI regulation. In New York, the RAISE Act, which regulates frontier models, recently passed both chambers and awaits Governor Kathy Hochul’s signature. In California, lawmakers are advancing similar proposals. These laws, if passed, will govern AI companies with a tighter leash—and their existence is due in no small part to Blackburn's unexpected defiance of her party.
In August, Blackburn co-introduced a bipartisan bill to protect artists from unauthorized AI training—and announced her candidacy for the governor of Tennessee in 2026.