# Ben Luján

Democrat Senator · NM [Official site ↗](https://www.lujan.senate.gov) [JSON](https://whovotedwhy.com/data/politicians/L000570.json) [Report an error](mailto:hello@jonasneves.com?subject=WhoVotedWhy%20correction%3A%20member%20L000570&body=Row%20or%20page%3A%20member%20L000570%0AWhat%20is%20wrong%3A%0APrimary%20source%20that%20shows%20it%3A%0A)

6 press releases on AI $47K from AI-industry employees and PACs

Data as of: votes Oct 21, 2026 · statements Oct 19, 2026 · contributions Oct 19, 2026 · super PAC spending Oct 23, 2026. [What changed](https://whovotedwhy.com/data/changes.json)

## Said and voted

### What they said

toward oversight Oct 15, 2026

Luján and colleagues questioned Meta's use of billions in R&D tax credits to subsidize its AI data center construction, calling it a potential misapplication of tax law.

“Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), a member of the Senate Finance Committee, joined Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and U.S. SenatorsSheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.…”

[Source ↗](https://www.lujan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/lujan-colleaguesquestion-metas-use-of-billions-in-research-and-development-tax-credits-to-subsidize-its-ai-data-center-construction-boom/)

toward oversight Oct 6, 2026

Luján pushes back on data center costs being passed to ratepayers and calls for a bipartisan Senate Select Committee on AI to improve oversight.

“Washington, D.C. – In case you missed it, during the final weeks of the September Senate session, U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) successfully championed several key pieces of legislation through …”

[Source ↗](https://www.lujan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/icymi-in-final-weeks-of-senate-session-lujan-passes-several-key-bills-through-the-senate-stands-up-for-new-mexico-families/)

neutral Sep 30, 2026

Senators urged state utility regulators to make AI data centers pay the full cost of power infrastructure rather than passing costs to ratepayers.

“Luján is one of only two U.S. Senators, and the only Democratic Senator, to have served as a state utility commissioner Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), U.S. Senator Mar…”

[Source ↗](https://www.lujan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/lujan-heinrich-kelly-cantwell-call-on-states-to-stop-data-centers-from-passing-rising-costs-on-to-ratepayers/)

toward oversight Sep 28, 2026

Luján calls for a bipartisan Senate Select Committee on AI to build congressional capacity to oversee and respond to AI risks.

“Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) urged Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) and Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) to establish a bipartisan Senate Select Committee on …”

[Source ↗](https://www.lujan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/lujan-calls-on-senate-leadership-to-establish-bipartisan-select-committee-on-ai/)

toward oversight Sep 23, 2026

Calls on Trump to negotiate formal US-China AI guardrails and a possible mutual pause on frontier AI development.

“Senators’ letter calls for global cooperation on AI development to preserve public safety and human control Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) joined U.S. Senator Chris Van…”

[Source ↗](https://www.lujan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/lujan-van-hollen-colleagues-push-trump-to-negotiate-ai-guardrails-with-xi/)

neutral Jul 30, 2026

Luján leads a hearing exploring AI's role in building and securing broadband networks, noting both promise and needed oversight without taking a firm regulatory position.

“Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the Senate Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Telecommunications and Media, helped lead a subcommittee hearing titled…”

[Source ↗](https://www.lujan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/ranking-member-lujan-leads-telecommunications-and-media-subcommittee-hearing-on-artificial-intelligence-in-communications-networks/)

Summaries and stance tags are written by a model; the release is the record.

### How they voted

NAY Sep 30, 2026

[Ratepayer Protection Act](https://whovotedwhy.com/votes/c4ab5f94505ce4d8)

cloture · H.R. 9340 · Rejected 57-43

YEA Jul 16, 2026

[A joint resolution providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services of the Department of Health and Human Services relating to "Medicare Program; Implementation of Prior Authorization for Select Services for the Wasteful and Inappropriate Services Reduction (WISeR) Model".](https://whovotedwhy.com/votes/de7744646acadb2c)

motion to proceed · S.J.Res. 198 · Rejected 46-50

NAY Jul 14, 2026

[National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2027](https://whovotedwhy.com/votes/1582c6eb48e4c5fc)

cloture · S. 4784 · Rejected 50-46

YEA Dec 17, 2025

[National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026](https://whovotedwhy.com/votes/bca10742d0876330)

procedural · S. 1071 · Agreed to 77-20

YEA Dec 15, 2025

[National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026](https://whovotedwhy.com/votes/47dfb73a82b0a2ce)

cloture · S. 1071 · Agreed to 76-20

YEA Dec 11, 2025

[National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026](https://whovotedwhy.com/votes/dd1489dacf44112f)

motion to proceed · S. 1071 · Agreed to 75-22

YEA Jul 1, 2025

[To strike the section relating to support for artificial intelligence.](https://whovotedwhy.com/votes/5759c87e484cf21b)

amendment · H.R. 1 · S.Amdt. 2814 · Agreed to 99-1

## Contributions from AI-industry employees and PACs

Itemized receipts to this member's campaign committee where the contributor's employer or the contributing PAC is on the alias list. An employee's personal gift is not the company's.

$47K

From employees and investors, personally

$0

From company PACs

### By employer

Company PACs in teal; employees' personal gifts in black. Spellings are unified through the alias list.

### Largest gifts

| Date | Contributor | Employer, as filed | Amount | Filing |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Mar 1, 2026 | Bradford Smith | MICROSOFT CORPORATION | $4K | [↗](https://docquery.fec.gov/cgi-bin/fecimg/?202604159862400604) |
| Mar 1, 2026 | Bradford Smith | MICROSOFT CORPORATION | $4K | [↗](https://docquery.fec.gov/cgi-bin/fecimg/?202604159862400017) |
| Nov 30, 2025 | Jason Kwon | OPENAI | $4K | [↗](https://docquery.fec.gov/cgi-bin/fecimg/?202604159862596836) |
| Nov 24, 2025 | Peter Ragone | OPENAI | $4K | [↗](https://docquery.fec.gov/cgi-bin/fecimg/?202604159862596839) |
| Nov 17, 2025 | Christopher Lehane | OPENAI | $4K | [↗](https://docquery.fec.gov/cgi-bin/fecimg/?202604159862596867) |
| Nov 6, 2025 | James Kevin Scott | MICROSOFT CORPORATION | $4K | [↗](https://docquery.fec.gov/cgi-bin/fecimg/?202604159862594927) |
| Sep 22, 2025 | Christopher Dixon | ANDREESSEN HOROWITZ | $4K | [↗](https://docquery.fec.gov/cgi-bin/fecimg/?202510159791518834) |
| Sep 22, 2025 | Benjamin Horowitz | ANDREESSEN HOROWITZ | $4K | [↗](https://docquery.fec.gov/cgi-bin/fecimg/?202510159791517285) |
| Nov 17, 2025 | Marisa Moret | OPENAI | $3K | [↗](https://docquery.fec.gov/cgi-bin/fecimg/?202604159862596839) |
| Nov 11, 2025 | Frederick Humphries | MICROSOFT CORPORATION | $2K | [↗](https://docquery.fec.gov/cgi-bin/fecimg/?202604159862595771) |
| Nov 10, 2025 | Chan Park | OPENAI | $2K | [↗](https://docquery.fec.gov/cgi-bin/fecimg/?202604159862596860) |
| Sep 22, 2025 | Christopher Dixon | ANDREESSEN HOROWITZ | $2K | [↗](https://docquery.fec.gov/cgi-bin/fecimg/?202510159791518438) |
| Nov 17, 2025 | Chan Park | OPENAI | $2K | [↗](https://docquery.fec.gov/cgi-bin/fecimg/?202604159862596864) |
| Nov 17, 2025 | Christopher Lehane | OPENAI | $2K | [↗](https://docquery.fec.gov/cgi-bin/fecimg/?202604159862596854) |
| Nov 24, 2025 | Debbie Mesloh | OPENAI | $1K | [↗](https://docquery.fec.gov/cgi-bin/fecimg/?202604159862596865) |

Source: [OpenFEC Schedule A](https://api.open.fec.gov), itemized receipts only, 2026 cycle, read Oct 19, 2026. The FEC itemizes a contributor once their gifts to a committee pass $200 in aggregate.