BY MIRABEL ODETA
A senior Republican lawmaker has scheduled a committee vote on legislation that would give Congress direct oversight of U.S. exports of advanced artificial intelligence chips, setting up a clash with the White House and some technology policy advisers close to President Donald Trump.
Representative Brian Mast of Florida, the chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, introduced the proposed “AI Overwatch Act” in December after the Trump administration approved shipments of Nvidia’s powerful H200 artificial intelligence chips to China. The move immediately sparked concern among China hawks in Congress who argue that such technology could strengthen the Chinese military and undermine U.S. national security.
Under the bill, the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the Senate Banking Committee would be granted a 30-day window to review and potentially block licenses allowing the export of advanced AI chips to China and other countries considered U.S. adversaries. Supporters of the legislation say it would restore congressional oversight over decisions they believe carry long-term strategic risks.
According to a source familiar with the situation, the bill’s chances of advancing improved after a coordinated media campaign last week that highlighted concerns about AI technology reaching Beijing. Mast has framed the proposal as a necessary safeguard, saying at a recent hearing titled “Winning the AI Arms Race against the Chinese Communist Party” that the legislation would ensure America’s most advanced chips are not repurposed for use by China’s military.
The bill has drawn sharp criticism from some figures within the Trump administration’s orbit, including White House AI adviser David Sacks. Requests for comment from Sacks and the White House went unanswered, but Sacks publicly signaled opposition last week by reposting a message on X that accused “Never Trumpers” and former staffers from the Obama and Biden administrations of pushing the bill to undermine Trump’s authority and his America First agenda.
That post specifically named Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, alleging that he had hired former Biden administration staffers to lobby on the issue. Sacks responded with a one-word endorsement of the claim, writing, “Correct.”
Anthropic declined to comment on the accusations or on the legislation itself. However, Amodei has previously and publicly warned against allowing China access to advanced AI chips such as Nvidia’s H200. Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, he described the idea of exporting such technology as dangerously shortsighted, comparing it to selling nuclear weapons to a hostile state.
The bill has also faced backlash from conservative activists. Laura Loomer and others criticized the proposal on social media, labeling it “pro-China sabotage disguised as oversight.” Mast dismissed those attacks, arguing that limiting China’s access to advanced technology has long been bipartisan policy. He pointed to past decisions to block Dutch company ASML from selling cutting-edge chipmaking equipment to China and to restrict Nvidia’s latest Blackwell chips.
“The president was beyond wise to take those steps,” Mast said in a response posted online, adding that while some advisers may support shipping H200 chips to China, he strongly disagrees.
Nvidia declined to comment on the proposed legislation, and the U.S. Department of Commerce, which oversees export controls, also did not respond to requests for comment. As the committee vote approaches, the bill is shaping up to be a major test of how much authority Congress should have over AI policy at a time when competition with China is intensifying.