Negotiations over a bipartisan AI safety bill in the U.S. Senate are showing signs of momentum, and key lawmakers say there is a possibility the measure could reach a vote in the Senate Commerce Committee before members leave Washington for the midterm recess. The House is scheduled to leave on Wednesday and will not return until November.
Who is involved and where talks stand
Senate Commerce Committee Chair Ted Cruz (R-Texas) told Semafor: “I would love to mark it up this month, if we can get bipartisan agreement. 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 text with interested colleagues, while noting that President Donald Trump’s social media posts opposing AI regulation are not helpful to the effort. Klobuchar described the proposal as focused on streamlining approvals, presenting models to government experts, and establishing alerts for imminent harm, citing recent incidents as motivation.
Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), the panel’s top Democrat, said she is working with Klobuchar on the bill. Both senators emphasized that this proposal represents only a part of a broader legislative agenda they want on AI, and argued that Congress should address urgent, immediate threats now while reserving larger regulatory frameworks for later.
Cantwell said: “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 and what the federal government should be doing in that environment.”
Prospects for a committee vote and lingering doubts
Cantwell and Klobuchar said Cruz could hold a committee vote on the bill soon, according to the Democratic senators. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, who is directly involved in the effort, was more cautious, saying it “remains to be seen” whether the proposal would ultimately receive a committee vote. Insiders say introduction and possible committee action remain under discussion.
Klobuchar argued: “Because it is targeted at these immediate risks, it is something we could proceed on sooner rather than later.”
Industry engagement
An OpenAI spokesperson said that Chris Lehane, OpenAI’s Chief Global Affairs officer, had an “encouraging” conversation with Klobuchar on Tuesday. Lehane told reporters the company would be prepared to rally around any federal AI safety effort that could pass, and cautioned that perfect should not be the enemy of good.
Anthropic has told Semafor that it has been offering feedback on the bill but has not yet taken a position.
Remaining obstacles
Despite optimistic statements from senators, sources close to the discussions warned that significant issues remain. Key sticking points include internal Senate politics, dynamics with the White House, and winning support from the AI safety community — any of which could independently derail the effort.
Overall, while negotiators report active progress and engagement from parts of the tech industry, the bill’s path to a committee vote and broader congressional approval is still uncertain.
