Lawmakers in the Senate are working on a bipartisan artificial intelligence safety bill led by Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D–Minn.), Sen. Ted Cruz (R–Texas) and Majority Leader John Thune. Sources who spoke to Semafor said the proposal could be the only realistic option to produce legislation before 2027, and that it might be introduced as soon as next week.
Klobuchar told Semafor she is negotiating a bipartisan agreement on "legislation for commonsense guardrails to address the risks posed by AI systems," adding that "it's clear we need to act now and not wait." Cruz posted on X that he is "working with" Klobuchar and Thune on legislation aimed at addressing catastrophic risks involving biological or nuclear threats.
The draft text has not been released publicly, but AI frontier labs and public advocacy groups are already providing feedback to Hill staffers and the teams drafting the bill.
Progressive lawmakers push for stricter measures
Despite growing behind-the-scenes support for the bipartisan Senate bill, progressive elected officials are pressing for more stringent action. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I–Vt.) plans to introduce legislation that would ban superintelligence and pause certain AI development. Sanders also intends to convene a bipartisan briefing of experts next week in response to recent AI security incidents.
Rep. Ro Khanna (D–Calif.) posted a five-step plan calling for urgent measures such as certification of new models, corporate liability and criminal penalties, and the creation of a new federal agency to oversee AI.
Industry voices urge rapid congressional action
Chris Lehane, OpenAI's chief global affairs officer, wrote in a Wednesday blog post that the company wants to work with Congress on national AI safety regulation because of "a new chapter in AI capabilities," referring to both its own models and wider research. Lehane said several "serious" frontier safety proposals are circulating in Congress and urged lawmakers to act before they adjourn, saying "the AI policy window is open, for now. We intend to use it."
Why it matters
How Congress responds in the coming weeks will shape whether federal policy keeps pace with rapidly advancing AI capabilities. The bipartisan Senate effort could offer a pragmatic path to enacting guardrails before the next congressional session, while progressive proposals seek tougher limits that could more dramatically affect developers and companies.
(Note: Axios first reported Sanders' plans to convene a briefing.)
