Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios
House Republicans did not include measures related to AI and countering China in their second attempt at a year-end spending package on Thursday.
Why it matters: The must-pass bill was one of the last ways lawmakers could get tech policy legislation across the finish line.
The new CR, endorsed by President-elect Trump, does not include these tech bills that had been attached to the first deal:
- The TAKE IT DOWN Act, which would have required platforms to remove deepfake pornography of children within 48 hours of being notified by the victim.
- The Comprehensive Outbound Investment National Security Act, which would have aimed to restrict U.S. money flowing to China's tech sector.
- Other bills to secure chip supply chains, protect U.S. telecommunications networks from China, require the FCC to establish a 6G task force and reauthorize the NTIA also didn't make it onto this year-end spending bill.
Sen. Ted Cruz earlier today called on the House to pass the TAKE IT DOWN Act under suspension of the rules.
What's next: Lawmakers need to vote.
- Congress faces a Friday night deadline to pass a spending bill to avoid a government shutdown.
