Whether you love or detest Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, we can probably all agree that she has raised eyebrows. She conceded to not reading the worst provision in Donald Trump’s OBBB that would place a 10-year moratorium on states being able to regulate AI systems. Her admission has led to widespread condemnation – from Democratic lawmakers but even from her own Republican colleagues. They voiced shock at her being so out of touch in not knowing about such a key legislative proposal.
Greene, a prominent figure in the Republican Party known for her outspoken views, took to social media platform X to announce that she would have opposed the bill had she been fully informed about its contents. She zeroed in on the AI provision. It outright forbids state and local governments from making rules governing AI at all, except to the extent that such rules facilitate the deployment of these kinds of systems. Greene claimed she only discovered this information after voting for the bill, stating, “Full transparency, I did not know about this section on pages 278-279 of the OBBB that strips states of the right to make laws or regulate AI for 10 years.”
Her admission raised eyebrows among her peers. Reading the AI provision in its entirety, Rep. Ted Lieu (L.A.-area) voted against the bill. He listed it as the most important reason for his opposition to the bill. He remarked, “PRO TIP: It’s helpful to read stuff before voting on it.”
Because her oversight, Greene went nuclear. She urged lawmakers to strip the AI provision out of the Senate version of the bill. She warned that “we have no idea what AI will be capable of in the next 10 years,” emphasizing her concerns about the potential implications of such unregulated technology.
Greene’s colleagues have certainly pulled any punches in their condemnation. Representative Mark Pocan expressed his frustration directly, stating, “Read the f***king bill instead of clapping for it like a performing monkey.” He claimed that Greene should have done her due diligence back when the legislation was being written in the first place.
Democratic representatives expressed their shock at Greene’s apparent lack of knowledge about the bill. Representative Delia Ramirez went on to highlight the fact that Greene had missed the mark on various other provisions that directly impact her constituents. This sentiment was echoed by Representative Eric Swalwell, who simply stated, “You have one job. To. Read. The. Fucking. Bill.”
The AI provision was introduced just two nights before the bill’s markup, raising concerns about transparency and accountability in the legislative process. Greene’s comments have prompted a renewed discussion on whether lawmakers are doing enough to read through long and complicated pieces of legislation before they vote for them.
State House Speaker Mike Flood, a Republican in Greene’s own party, reacted to Greene’s comments by confessing that he hadn’t known about some of the provisions when he voted. He manned up and accepted responsibility for his conduct. “I am not going to hide the truth: this provision was unknown to me when I voted for that bill,” he stated.
Whatever happens with this controversy, Greene is the brave defender of the AI provision. She terms it an overreach of state rights and maintains she would have voted “NO” had she received advance notice of it.
“Reading is fundamental! Maybe if your colleagues weren’t so hellbent on jamming a bill down our throats in the dead of night, and bending the knee to Trump, you would’ve caught this, Sis!” – Representative Yvette Clarke