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Reuters reported House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries wants a full briefing on the Nvidia situation, as Sen. Chris Coons calls a probe of the Nvidia chief a priority once Democrats control Congress in January.
Chips & Power DeskEdited by Ege Erten
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Follows our story: Megaspeed Probe Reportedly Moved to DOJ After NVIDIA Counsel Email
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who said Nov. 9 that Congress needs a full briefing on the Nvidia situation. File photo; it does not show the Nvidia briefing.
Image: Office of House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries
Source · Official photo from the House Democratic Leader's website, used for news reporting.
House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries said on Monday, Nov. 9, that Congress needs a full briefing on the Nvidia situation and that he "strongly supports" restrictions on US chip sales to China in the final version of the annual defense bill, Reuters reported.
"Clearly Congress needs more information," Jeffries said, adding that there are "real concerns that need to be addressed with respect to the Nvidia situation." He said a classified briefing for congressional leaders that day with CIA director John Ratcliffe and Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton touched on Nvidia only briefly and focused mostly on Iran. "We're going to need a full briefing specifically as it relates to the Nvidia situation," he said, according to Reuters.
The Senate version of the defense bill, Reuters said, would give Congress more authority over AI chips going to China, push US allies to restrict sales of chipmaking equipment to China, and require businesses to track their AI chips abroad to combat smuggling. Jeffries told reporters, per Semafor, that Democrats will work to get those provisions into the final bill. It was unclear whether he plans to disband the China select committee or create a special committee on AI policy.
As Voltgrid News reported, Nvidia's board opened an independent probe after media reports that CEO Jensen Huang had a close relationship with a Chinese businesswoman who allegedly passed information to Beijing. Huang told staff he had been unfaithful to his wife, without giving details. The allegations have not been proven.
Sen. Chris Coons, a Delaware Democrat, told NPR on Nov. 9 that investigating the Nvidia chief is a top priority for Democrats once they take control of Congress in January. Semafor described him as the likely next chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Coons said he thinks there is a real likelihood that US national security has been compromised, and wants the inquiry to cover ties between the Trump administration, foreign spies and AI billionaires. NPR said it has not independently confirmed The New York Times reporting on which this rests.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal, a Connecticut Democrat, told Semafor "we need a Senate investigation" and that he expects to chair the investigations subcommittee of the Intelligence Committee next year. Others were more cautious: Sen. Ron Wyden, an Oregon Democrat on the Intelligence Committee, told Semafor "we don't know where it went" and would wait for more information.
Nvidia has lobbied against stricter export controls, Semafor reported. The Senate text covers AI chips and chipmaking equipment, so the final wording decides how much Nvidia hardware and tooling can reach Chinese buyers. Voltgrid News has also reported that the Megaspeed probe was reportedly moved to the Justice Department.
No committee has announced a hearing or subpoena. The defense bill has not been passed in its final form, and Jeffries has not said which provisions would stay. Democrats take control of Congress in January, per NPR, and Huang's position remains a matter for Nvidia's board, as Semafor noted.
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