Senate Banking Chair Demands Testimony as National-Security Alarm Grows Over Nvidia and Commerce Department
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Senate Banking Committee Chairman Tim Scott sent letters to Jensen Huang and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick seeking testimony amid mounting concerns over U.S. national security, sensitive technology, and weak oversight of exports to China.
Senate Banking Committee Chairman Tim Scott said on X that recent reports have raised “serious concerns about our national security and the protection of sensitive US technology,” and that he is asking Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to testify before the committee. Scott said he may subpoena Huang if he refuses to appear voluntarily, adding that “the American people deserve answers.”
The letters follow reports that Jensen Huang stepped down from Nvidia after allegations of a romantic relationship with Alice Huang, whom U.S. authorities suspect of spying for China. The Justice Department has not yet concluded whether Alice Huang is a spy, and she could not be reached for comment.
Lawmakers have also criticized Lutnick for the administration’s decision not to add dozens of Chinese firms to a key U.S. trade blacklist and for its oversight of Nvidia’s exports to China. Senior White House officials are reportedly discussing whether Lutnick should be removed from his post.
In a separate move, chairs of three House committees, including Foreign Affairs Committee chair Brian Mast, sent letters to Jensen Huang and Nvidia general counsel Tim Teter demanding closed-door, transcribed interviews on Dec. 1 and Dec. 2, with the threat of subpoenas. The letters also asked Under Secretary of Commerce Jeffrey Kessler to testify at a Dec. 3 hearing. Spokespeople for Huang and Lutnick were not immediately available.