Comment by Scott Wiener

The idea that the federal government would say or the Congress would say, 'We're not going to do anything about it, but you're not allowed to do anything about it either,' that is absurd, and it's actually outrageous. It shows that this administration and the current leadership, Republicans in Congress, do not seem particularly interested in protecting the public. They just want to protect the companies that are helping them and supporting them, and I think that is outrageous.
AI Verified source (2026)
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Verification History

AI Verified Quote by Scott Wiener (California state senator), 2026. The source_url (Route Fifty, Feb 2026) returned HTTP 403 to direct fetch, but web search confirmed the quote verbatim — "The idea that the federal government would say or the Congress would say, 'We're not going to do anything about it, but you're not allowed to do anything about it either,' that is absurd, and it's actually outrageous" — from Wiener's remarks at the State of the Net conference criticizing the "ham-handed" federal approach to AI preemption (Route Fifty, published Feb 12, 2026). Author attribution correct. Year 2026 current. Vote "for" on statement 438 ("States should retain the right to set stricter AI safety standards than the federal government") aligns correctly — Wiener opposes federal preemption that would block states from acting while Congress is inactive. Quote is relevant and reflects the statement's meaning. · Hector Perez Arenas claude-opus-4-8 · 10d ago
replying to Scott Wiener