US House Democratic leader says lawmakers need answers on Nvidia, wants China chip restrictions

• Hakeem Jeffries said Congress needs “more information” on Nvidia after reports of a foreign intelligence effort targeting CEO Jensen Huang.
• He wants a full briefing and supports defence Bill limits on US chip sales to China, including tougher rules on AI chips and equipment.
• The Senate Bill would give Congress more power over chip exports, push allies to curb sales to China and track AI chips abroad to stop smuggling.

WASHINGTON – US House of Representatives Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries said on Nov 9 that Congress needs more answers after reports emerged that Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang had been targeted by a foreign intelligence effort.

Jeffries also called for the House to pass an annual defence Bill that includes restrictions on chip sales to China that are included in a Bill now before the US Senate.

“Clearly, Congress needs more information” about what happened at Nvidia, Jeffries said, adding that there are “real concerns that need to be addressed with respect to the Nvidia situation”.

Jeffries said a classified briefing for congressional leaders on Nov 9 with Central Intelligence Agency director John Ratcliffe and Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton briefly discussed Nvidia, but mostly focused on Iran.

“We’re going to need a full briefing specifically as it relates to the Nvidia situation so we can all get to the bottom of what has happened,” Jeffries said.

The internal Nvidia probe followed a media report that Huang had a close relationship with a Chinese businesswoman who allegedly passed information to Beijing.

Huang told Nvidia’s employees that he had been unfaithful to his wife, without disclosing details of the relationship.

A Senate version of the defence Bill contains provisions to give Congress more authority on AI chips going to China, prodding US allies to restrict sales of semiconductor manufacturing equipment to China and requiring businesses to track their AI chips abroad to combat smuggling.

Jeffries said he “strongly supports” restrictions on sales of US chips to China in the final version of the annual defence Bill.

It was unclear whether Jeffries planned to disband the China select committee or create a special committee on AI policy. REUTERS