Mike Johnson rejects AI moratorium over China threat as conservative activist demands guardrails

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., rejected an emergency moratorium on artificial intelligence development Sunday during CNN’s “State of the Union,” warning that slowing American innovation could allow China to pull ahead as tech executives and lawmakers intensify calls for new AI safety measures.

“We have to resist Congress jumping in and imposing some sort of emergency moratorium,” Johnson said. “Here’s what I’m proposing: I think the leaders and providers of these platforms need to come together in a meeting with us and figure out what the right balance is. We cannot put a moratorium on this because China will overlap us.”

Republican National Committee member and Humans First chairwoman Amy Kremer told Fox News Digital on Sunday that policymakers should pursue safeguards without surrendering America’s technological advantage to Beijing.

“We need guardrails that protect Americans while allowing American innovation to lead the world,” Kremer said. “That means protecting children, workers and our national security, while making sure China doesn’t win the AI race.”

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Kremer, who has emerged as a prominent Republican critic of the rapid expansion of AI data centers, also said Congress should preserve state and local authority over the infrastructure needed to power the technology. 

Humans First, a grassroots conservative movement against new data centers, is pushing a policy framework that opposes blanket data-center moratoriums while calling for local control and rejecting eminent domain for projects.

“When it comes to the massive data centers being built to power AI, Washington should not strip states and local communities of their authority,” Kremer said.

“The people who live with these projects should have a voice in whether and where they’re built. They also have a right to know who that company is before decisions are made, not after the deal is done,” she added.

The AI debate accelerated after Anthrophic CEO Dario Amodei called Saturday for slowing the development of increasingly capable AI models, drawing support from xAI founder Elon Musk and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman.

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“We must slow the pace at which we improve the capabilities of AI models. Progress will still seem fast, and we must make wise use of the time we gain,” Amodei said.

President Donald Trump rejected calls for a broader slowdown Sunday while speaking to reporters in Ireland, placing the emerging technology in the context of U.S. competition with China.

“We’re leading China on AI. We’re the most sophisticated country in the world and, frankly, I want to keep it that way, because whoever wins AI wins,” Trump said.

Public concern has also centered on the infrastructure required to sustain AI growth. A July Fox News poll found 70% of registered voters opposed construction of AI data centers in their area, while 30% supported them.

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The Trump administration has sought to address concerns about electricity costs through its Ratepayer Protection Pledge, which requires participating AI companies and data-center operators to cover the power-generation and infrastructure costs associated with their facilities rather than passing them to customers. The White House says the pledge now covers roughly 80% of electricity delivered to American homes and businesses.

Kremer told Fox News Digital that protecting consumers should extend beyond electricity prices.

“Americans shouldn’t be forced to subsidize Big Tech through higher electricity bills, tax giveaways, eminent domain or the loss of productive farmland,” Kremer said.

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Johnson said he wants the major AI executives brought together with policymakers to work through the competing national security and safety concerns, suggesting the White House could host the talks.

“We’ve got to summon everybody together,” Johnson said. “They probably should be summoned together at the White House. And I think we need to go in a big room, close the door and sort this out. And I’ll be the one pushing for it.”