AI firm Anthropic is opposing a key bill of the Trump administration, which is part of the so-called “Big Beautiful Bill”. The legislation would block state AI laws for ten years. Anthropic’s lobbying reportedly irks the White House.
This opposition is notable. Most tech companies typically seek closer government ties. Anthropic’s stance could complicate the White House’s AI strategy. The strategy aims for streamlined federal oversight for AI development.
Anthropic’s Bold Stand Against Federal AI Control
Anthropic is actively lobbying members of Congress, reports Semafor. The company wants them to vote against the federal bill. This bill would preempt states from regulating artificial intelligence. Semafor also noted that an Anthropic advisor, Ben Buchanan, pushed against the recent U.S. AI deal with Gulf states. Buchanan was reportedly an architect of the previous administration’s “AI diffusion rule.”
These efforts have reportedly angered some within the Trump administration. They view Anthropic as an obstacle to their AI policy agenda. Officials noted Anthropic’s hiring of several former Biden Administration staffers. These include Elizabeth Kelly and Tarun Chhabra, with Buchanan also advising.
However, Anthropic also employs policy staff with Republican affiliations, like Benjamin Merkel and Mary Croghan. Adding to tensions, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei predicted “AI would wipe out half of entry-level, white collar jobs in the next one to five years,” a statement that also reportedly annoyed White House staffers.
“One Big Beautiful Bill Act” Sparks State Opposition
The federal bill Anthropic opposes is part of H.R. 1. This is President Trump’s proposed budget reconciliation bill, known as the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act.” Section 43201(c) of this act describes a ten-year moratorium. Such a moratorium would halt state-level enforcement of laws or regulations on AI models and systems. The broader H.R. 1, which includes reforms on healthcare and taxation, narrowly passed the House of Representatives.
This preemption clause has drawn significant criticism from state officials. A bipartisan group of 40 state attorneys general wrote to congressional leaders. They urged reconsideration of the provision stripping states of AI regulatory power.
The AGs argued it would harm consumers. California Attorney General Rob Bonta strongly opposed such efforts, emphasizing, “states must be able to protect their residents by responding to emerging and evolving AI technology,” and arguing against blocking states from “developing and enforcing common-sense regulation.”
Competing Visions for U.S. AI Dominance
Anthropic’s current stance aligns with its past policy arguments. In May, Anthropic clashed with Nvidia over U.S. AI chip export controls targeting China. Anthropic argued that “maintaining America’s compute advantage through export controls is essential for national security and economic prosperity.”
Nvidia, conversely, suggested American firms should focus on innovation, with saying the U.S. “cannot manipulate regulators to capture victory in AI.”
This contrasts with other AI leaders like OpenAI. OpenAI has been lobbying the Trump administration for accelerated AI development and lighter regulation. The Trump administration itself has moved to simplify AI-related rules.
It recently rescinded the previous “Biden diffusion rule” for AI chip exports. A Commerce Department spokesperson stated the old rule was “overly complex, overly bureaucratic, and would stymie American innovation.”
The broader politicial debate about AI has heated up with new significant international AI deals. For example, Elon Musk reportedly attempted to influence OpenAI’s UAE data center deal. Despite such complexities, the White House endorsed the “Stargate U.A.E.” project, which involves OpenAI, Oracle, Nvidia, Cisco, and SoftBank.
OpenAI stated the deal “was developed in close coordination with the US government,” and appreciated President Trump’s support. U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick also noted that such international tech agreements include “strong security guarantees.”
