House Foreign Affairs chair: 'Very likely' chips restrictions make it into defense bill

Rep. Brian Mast, the chair of the House committee overseeing export controls, has stated that it is very likely that chip guardrails will be included in a defense bill. Mast expressed doubt about whether Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang knew where his company's chips were ultimately sent. Mast is also pushing for Huang to testify soon about the scandal.

The Florida Republican noted that Huang's resignation has added momentum to the effort to add chip export restrictions to the upcoming defense bill. Mast's committee is considering three bills related to chip export controls, including the Chip Security Act, which would require advanced chips to contain location-verification mechanisms.

Mast expressed confidence in Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick but was hesitant to comment on his deputy Jeffrey Kessler, who heads the bureau responsible for export controls. Mast emphasized his desire to investigate the Commerce Department's role in the Nvidia controversy and stated that Huang should testify within a week, either voluntarily or under subpoena.