On May 19, 2025, the Center for Democracy Technology (CDT) joined over 140 other civil rights and consumer protection organizations, signing House Mike Johnson, House leader Hakeem Jeffries, and members of Congress to oppose the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s exhibition budget resolution provisions. Equal protection at the federal level. The failure of Congress to enshrine comprehensive laws enshrining AI protections has made millions of Americans more vulnerable to existing threats, and we all face the unpredictable safety risks posed by this early industry.
The letter highlights the drastic nature of the provisions that blocks enforcement of all state and local laws governing AI systems, AI models, or decision systems that automate decision systems nationwide and despite intentional measures from stakeholders, hearings and numerous state legislators. Protecting civil rights and child privacy, transparency in consumer chatbots to prevent fraud, and even other safeguards will be void. The resulting free abuse of AI or automated decision systems could carry out areas ranging from pocketbook harm to rental price determination, serious violations of ordinary American civil rights, and even professional families, ranging from cyberattacks on critical infrastructure and the production of biological weapons.
Two-thirds of states, including Kentucky, Ohio, North Dakota and New Jersey, are being created with close dialogue with engineers and affected communities, considering general legislation that addresses federal protection gaps. These states meet the need for substantive policy debates on how to safely advance the development of this technology. Additionally, many state attorney generals have expressed interest in pursuing enforcement measures under laws already already in their own books, prohibited by this preemptive language. This includes state attorney generals for Alabama, California, New Jersey, Oregon, Massachusetts, Texas and Pennsylvania.
Read the complete letter.
