Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios
Congress cut their time in session short yesterday, leaving for recess until after the election.
We checked in with lawmakers before they headed out to see where things stand on tech policy.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal told Axios he will not move forward with the House's version of the Kids Online Safety Act.
- "I'm hoping that it will be much more like the Senate bill when it passes the House. But there's also the possibility, obviously, of a conference."
- Blumenthal said he's working with colleagues in the House to make their version more like the one that passed the Senate.
Sen. Mike Rounds thinks it's "entirely possible" that AI measures make it into a year-end spending package.
- While House Republicans are very reluctant to spend any money, Rounds said his counterparts in the lower chamber understand that it'll end up costing more money in the long run if the U.S. doesn't lead on AI.
Rep. John Moolenaar, chair of the China select committee, is pushing for export controls on AI.
- He told Axios that even though China tends to retaliate, the U.S. has to set the rules and encourage a level playing field for the tech.
Sen. Peter Welch said he has hope that Affordable Connectivity Program and rip and replace funding make it into a spending package.
- Welch said there's a lot of Democratic support in the House, but work needs to be done to get more Republicans on board.
