White House AI czar David Sacks and House Majority Leader Steve Scalise are leading the drive to include a provision in the annual defense bill that would preempt some state laws on AI, seeking to stave off nascent regulation efforts in New York and California, said people familiar with the discussions. The behind-the-scenes campaign burst into public view on Tuesday night when President Donald Trump urged Congress to block state-level AI regulation and suggested incorporating a provision in the defense bill, which congressional leaders aim to pass before the end of the year.