Senate Banking Committee drags Nvidia’s former CEO and Commerce Secretary into a showdown over corporate power and China policy
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The Senate Banking Committee has set a public hearing for former Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, threatening subpoenas if they refuse to show up. The move comes amid accusations that the Trump administration let Nvidia’s China business escape serious scrutiny and that Washington failed to act against dozens of Chinese firms in time.
The Senate Banking Committee, chaired by Tim Scott, has demanded that former Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang and U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick appear at a public hearing on Dec. 3, with Scott warning that subpoenas are on the table if they decline to attend.
Huang resigned on Thursday after reports of extramarital affairs, including a relationship with a woman suspected by U.S. authorities of spying for China. Nvidia’s market value has dropped below $4 trillion, marking the first decline since July 2025.
Lawmakers accuse the Trump administration of failing to properly scrutinize Nvidia’s exports of advanced semiconductors to China and say the Commerce Department did not move quickly enough to place dozens of Chinese firms on the U.S. trade blacklist. “Recent reports raise serious concerns about our national security and the protection of sensitive U.S. technology,” Scott wrote on X.
Three House committees have also asked Huang and Nvidia general counsel Tim Teter to testify on Dec. 1 and 2, and have indicated that subpoenas remain possible. Under Secretary of Commerce Jeffrey Kessler is scheduled for a Dec. 3 hearing.
In a joint letter, the chairs of the Foreign Affairs, China Select, and Intelligence committees warned that “there are clear national security concerns that need to be addressed immediately.”
China denied any espionage allegations and warned that tighter U.S. export controls could disrupt global semiconductor supply chains. A foreign ministry spokesperson said Beijing “has consistently opposed the abuse of export control measures.”