The Senate's bipartisan AI safety bill is showing renewed momentum, with lawmakers saying a Commerce Committee vote may be possible before the midterm recess. Senators Ted Cruz, Amy Klobuchar and Maria Cantwell report ongoing negotiations that focus on immediate risks like model approvals and alerts for imminent harm. OpenAI called recent discussions "encouraging," and Anthropic has offered feedback but not endorsed the bill. Insiders warn that Senate politics, White House dynamics and the AI safety community’s stance remain major hurdles.
Senate Bipartisan AI Safety Bill Gains Momentum Ahead Of Midterm Recess
Bipartisan AI safety talks accelerate in Senate
The Senate's bipartisan effort to draft an AI safety bill has picked up pace, with key lawmakers saying a Commerce Committee vote could be possible before senators leave Washington for the midterm recess.
Senate Commerce Committee Chair Ted Cruz (R-Texas) told Semafor he would like to "mark it up this month, if we can get bipartisan agreement," adding that "we're making progress. The negotiations are ongoing. We're not there yet, but I think we're making meaningful progress."
Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) said she is "continuing to negotiate" the bill's language with interested colleagues and noted that President Donald Trump's social media posts criticizing AI regulation have not been "helpful." Klobuchar described the measure as focused on immediate safeguards—such as model approvals, review by government experts, and requirements to alert authorities to imminent harms.
"This bill is focused on getting approvals, presenting your models to government experts, and alerting of imminent harm," Klobuchar said. "I continue to believe we could get this done. We'd have to put forward the bill, and get support."
Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), the top Democrat on the Commerce panel, said she is working with Klobuchar and emphasized the bill is intended to address urgent risks now while fitting into a broader legislative framework on AI that Congress would take up later.
"We think it's part of the equation, we don't think it's the whole story. It's getting the federal government to start playing a larger role and being more prepared and understanding the risk assessment landscape," Cantwell said.
Both Cantwell and Klobuchar indicated Cruz could call a committee vote in the near term, but Senate Majority Leader John Thune said it "remains to be seen" whether the proposal will ultimately receive committee consideration. People familiar with the talks say the bill's formal introduction and any committee action are still under discussion among senators and staff.
Industry engagement continues: OpenAI said its Chief Global Affairs Officer Chris Lehane had an "encouraging" conversation with Klobuchar and that the company is ready to support a federal AI safety effort that can pass. Anthropic has provided feedback on the draft but has not taken a formal position.
Despite the optimistic tone from some lawmakers, sources caution significant obstacles remain. Remaining sticking points include internal Senate politics, dynamics with the White House, and securing buy-in from the broader AI safety community—any of which could derail the effort.
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