Commerce Secretary Lutnick to testify before Senate Banking Committee amid Nvidia export controversy
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Howard Lutnick, the U.S. secretary of commerce, has agreed to appear before the Senate Banking Committee as lawmakers scrutinize the department’s approval of advanced chip sales to a company linked to a spy case—another example, critics say, of corporate-friendly decisions overriding public accountability.
Senator John Curtis, R-Utah, a member of the Senate Commerce Committee, wrote on X that the department’s handling of export controls raises urgent questions about whether it is serving national interests or private industry, and called for immediate answers and real accountability.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana, said there is a growing consensus that limiting chip exports to China is an important position and noted that the issue has been prominent on Capitol Hill. The bipartisan Select Committee on China is reportedly pushing for new restrictions in the upcoming National Defense Authorization Act, as Washington confronts the political fallout of a policy fight that has exposed deep tensions between security concerns and tech-industry influence.
The Commerce Department, which oversees approvals for advanced AI chips and semiconductors, has faced escalating criticism since Lutnick assumed the role. Recent reports indicate that the department approved a $4 billion sale of advanced chips to Megaspeed, a company associated with an alleged spy, before halting a related investigation last year and transferring the case to the Justice Department, according to sources cited by The New York Times.
Senator John Kennedy, R-Louisiana, questioned the rationale for the chip sales during a CNN interview following Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang’s resignation and said he would like to hear from both Bessent and Lutnick.
Lutnick, who has expressed support for exporting advanced AI chips to China, has at times differed with other officials in the Trump administration who favor stricter controls. He maintains a close relationship with former Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, further fueling concerns among lawmakers and critics about the appearance of undue access and influence.
Lutnick has agreed to testify before the Senate Banking Committee as the investigation continues.