The driving forces behind the controversial state AI moratorium maintain close ties to the industry they’re trying to de-regulate 

WASHINGTON, DC – A new report from Accountable.US revealed today that Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Representative Jay Obernolte (CA-23) have accepted a combined $144,850 from the tech industry over their congressional careers, including donations from Open AI CEO Sam Altman, the Consumer Technology Association, and Meta. Cruz and Obernolte have been outspoken advocates of a contentious AI moratorium that Republicans have included in the budget reconciliation bill which, even after changes were made to the language over the weekend, would still gut state laws aimed at protecting minors from intimate deepfakes, maintaining data privacy, and keeping misinformation out of elections. 

Despite the so-called carve-outs, the AI moratorium would still give Big Tech free reign to expand AI’s role in our lives regardless of the consequences. It’s a reckless gift to Big Tech that would put the industry unaccountable to the law, public, and lawmakers themselves.”

Accountable.US Executive Director Tony Carrk

Per the analysis, Obernolte is deeply connected with Big Tech industry leaders, appearing at numerous events in recent years including as a speaker at Human[X] in March 2025,  Ai4’s 2024 annual summit, and at the upcoming Fisher Phillips’ July 2025 AI conference. He has received over $66,000 from industry groups. 

Cruz similarly has received $78,450 during his career from industry executives and companies that have supported a 10-year moratorium. 

Both have received funds from OpenAI CEO Sam Altman who testified before Cruz’s Commerce Committee in May 2025 where he told Cruz that one federal framework “sounds great to me.” 

But these amounts don’t include any outside spending the tech industry may have done to help get them elected. 

Despite industry support, congressional Republicans and progressive organizations alike have been sounding the alarm against the AI moratorium Cruz and Obernolte have championed. 

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