Senator Markey Statement on Trump Executive Order to Prohibit States from Regulating AI

Washington (March 20, 2026) - Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), member of the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, released the following statement after President Trump released his national artificial intelligence (AI) legislative framework that calls for Congress to prevent states from regulating AI:

"President Trump is continuing to repay Big Tech's campaign donations by proposing to block states from protecting their communities from AI-related harms," said Senator Markey. "Congress must not only reject Trump's offensive proposal but also continue blocking Republicans' bad faith effort to undermine states. We should pass my States' Right to Regulate AI Act to put power back into the hands of people, not the Big Tech billionaire boys club cozying up to the White House."

Senator Markey has been a leading voice against a moratorium on state AI regulations.

In December 2025, Senator Markey introduced the States' Right to Regulate AI Act, legislation to prohibit the Trump administration from implementing his Executive Order that attempts to block states from regulating AI. Earlier that month, he decried Trump signing the Executive Order preempting state regulation of AI. In July 2025, the Senate voted 99-1 in favor of an amendment led by Senator Markey, Ranking Member Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), and Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) to strip a ten-year moratorium on state AI regulations from the Republican budget reconciliation bill. On June 3, Senator Markey delivered remarks on the Senate floor opposing the provision in the House-passed reconciliation bill that would prevent states from regulating AI for the next ten years.

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