MATSUI STATEMENT ON TRUMP’S AI EXECUTIVE ORDER

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Doris Matsui (CA-07), Ranking Member of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, issued the following statement on President Trump’s executive order targeting state regulations on artificial intelligence (AI).  

“After Congress repeatedly rejected this idea on a bipartisan basis, Donald Trump has now chosen to try and force it through unilaterally. Trump’s order threatens states enacting responsible safeguards with costly, wasteful federal lawsuits and attempts to hold hostage the broadband funding Congress specifically authorized for our communities. This is illegal federal coercion, plain and simple,” said Congresswoman Matsui. “With no federal AI framework in place, states like California have stepped up with common-sense safeguards that protect the public while keeping innovation and competition strong. These measures build trust and keep people safe.”

“This order would block states from responding to real, evolving risks,” Matsui continued. “At the same time, it’s a gift to big tech—stripping away accountability when AI is becoming more powerful and deeply embedded in people’s lives. There’s a reason Congress dismissed this approach—it’s bad policy. I’ll keep pushing back against this overreach and defend states’ ability to put meaningful protections in place.”

Congresswoman Matsui has been a leading voice in the fight to protect state and local authority to regulate AI. In June, she led opposition to inserting the AI moratorium into the Big Ugly Bill. In the face of recent attempts to revive the moratorium in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), she spearheaded a letter with more than 80 of her House colleagues urging congressional leaders to reject those efforts while raising serious concerns about this looming Executive Order. 

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