AI moratorium was never a ‘long-term solution,’ lawmaker says

Chairman Jay Obernolte, R-Calif., arrives for the House Science, Space and Technology Subcommittee on Research and Technology hearing titled "Assessing America's AI Action Plan," in Rayburn building on Wednesday, January 14, 2026. Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images

The 2025 artificial intelligence moratorium that failed to make it into last year’s budget reconciliation bill was “very misunderstood,” Rep. Jay Obernolte, R-Calif., said Thursday, emphasizing that the federal government still needs to “go first” in establishing an AI regulatory framework for the country. 

Speaking at the Incompas Policy Summit, Obernolte advocated for a sector-specific approach to crafting AI regulation that hinges on the risks the technology poses.

The AI moratorium, he explained, was initially intended to be “a messaging amendment.”

“We never expected to even get it out of [the] Energy and Commerce [Committee],” Obernolte, who serves on the committee, said. “We thought that the conversation needed ...