House Foreign Affairs Committee Set for Vote on AI Export Control Bill

TLDR

• Representative Brian Mast introduces the “AI Overwatch Act” to review AI chip exports to China.
• The bill grants the House and Senate 30 days to block licenses for AI chip exports.
• The act aims to prevent China’s military from gaining access to advanced AI chips.
• White House AI czar David Sacks opposes the bill, claiming it undermines Trump’s authority.
• The bill must pass the House, Senate, and be signed by the president to become law.

A key Republican lawmaker, Representative Brian Mast, has scheduled a committee vote for the “AI Overwatch Act.” This bill would grant Congress oversight of artificial intelligence chip exports, particularly to China. The vote comes after President Trump approved shipments of Nvidia’s H200 AI chips to China, sparking controversy.

The AI Overwatch Act and Its Provisions

According to a Reuters report, the “AI Overwatch Act” aims to give the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the Senate Banking Committee 30 days to review export licenses for advanced AI chips.

These licenses would apply to sales made to China and other potential adversaries. Representative Mast believes this bill will ensure AI chips do not fall into the hands of China’s military. “The AI chips must not be used by the Chinese military,” Mast said during a hearing titled “Winning the AI Arms Race against the Chinese Communist Party.”

This legislation is part of a broader effort to curb China’s access to advanced AI technology. The act would empower the committees to potentially block export licenses within 30 days of receipt.

Pushback from White House and Critics

White House AI czar David Sacks has opposed the bill. Sacks took to social media to claim the bill was being orchestrated by critics of President Trump. In a repost from “Wall Street Mav,” Sacks suggested the bill was part of a larger effort to undermine Trump’s authority.

He also singled out Dario Amodei, CEO of AI firm Anthropic, for allegedly hiring former Biden staffers to influence the matter. Amodei has publicly expressed concerns about China obtaining advanced chips. “Selling these chips would be a huge mistake,” Amodei said at the World Economic Forum.

Mast responded firmly to criticism, asserting that the president made the right decision in restricting China’s access to advanced chips. “You can advise him to sell H200 chips to China if you want, I advise the opposite,” he stated. The bill is now poised for a committee vote, but it must pass in both the House and Senate. Afterward, the bill will require the president’s signature to become law. If the bill passes, it will give Congress the power to prevent the export of AI chips to countries of concern.

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