Republican firebrandMarjorie Taylor Greenehas drawn widespread criticism from Democratic colleagues for admitting that not only did she not read Donald Trump’s tax and spending bill before voting for it, but she would have voted against it had she read thoroughly.
Greene revealed she was unaware of a provision in Trump’s “one big beautiful bill” (OBBB) that would prevent states from regulating artificial intelligence systems for a decade. The Georgia representative said she would have voted against the entire bill if she had known about the AI language buried on pages 278-279.
“Full transparency, I did not know about this section on pages 278-279 of the OBBB that strips states of the right to make laws or regulate AI for 10 years,” Greene wrote on X. “I am adamantly OPPOSED to this and it is a violation of state rights and I would have voted NO if I had known this was in there.”
Democratic lawmakers, who all voted against the bill, responded with incredulity of Greene’s admission.
“You have one job. To. Read. The. Fucking. Bill,” Representative Eric Swalwell wrote in response.
Representative Ted Lieu said he had read the AI provision beforehand and “that’s one reason I voted no on the GOP’s big, ugly bill”, he posted on X. “PRO TIP: It’s helpful to read stuff before voting on it.”
Representative Mark Pocan was more forward: “Read the f**king bill instead of clapping for it like a performing monkey. You should have done your job while it was written. You didn’t. You own that vote.”
The AI provision was addedjust two nightsbefore the bill’s markup. It would prohibit state and local governments from pursuing “any law or regulation regulating artificial intelligence models, artificial intelligence systems, or automated decision systems” for 10 years, unless the purpose is to facilitate deployment of such systems.
The language applies broadly to facial recognition systems, generative AI and automated decision-making tools used in hiring, housing and public benefits. Several states have already passed laws creating safeguards around such systems, which could become unenforceable if the bill passes the Senate.
It also raises questions about the curious case of Republicans not reading sprawling legislation about provisions in the bill.
Representative Mike Flood of Nebraska wasbooed by votersat a heated town hall last week when he admitted that a provision restricting federal judges’ ability to enforce contempt orders was “unknown” to him when he voted for the same bill. “I am not going to hide the truth: This provision was unknown to me when I voted for that bill,” Flood told the audience, prompting shouts from constituents who responded: “You voted for all of it.”
But Greene and Flood aren’t the only unexpected sources to now disapprove of aspects of Trump’s “big, beautiful bill”: the world’s richest man and Trump ally Elon Musk called the legislation a “disgusting abomination” on X Tuesday afternoon.
Sign up toThis Week in Trumpland
A deep dive into the policies, controversies and oddities surrounding the Trump administration
after newsletter promotion
“This massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination,” Musk wrote, adding that it would “massively increase the already gigantic budget deficit to $2.5 trillion”.
Democrats have highlighted that the bill includes significant cuts to healthcare and social programs, with reductions to Medicaid affecting millions of Americans and cuts to food assistance programs.
In response to Greene’s admission, representative Yvette Clarke wrote: “Reading is fundamental! Maybe if your colleagues weren’t so hellbent on jamming a bill down our throats in the dead of night, and bending the knee to Trump, you would’ve caught this, Sis!”
Representative Delia Ramirez noted that Greene appeared to have missed other provisions affecting her constituents: “Oh, Marjorie! If you had read the bill, you would’ve also seen that 149,705 of your constituents could lose their Medicaid.”
The House energy and commerce committee advanced the reconciliation package last Wednesday. Greene has called for the AI provision to be removed in the Senate, warning that “we have no idea what AI will be capable of in the next 10 years”.