Congress is moving closer to obtaining the authority to oversee artificial intelligence chip sales to China, a step likely to create conflict with the Trump administration over its plan to allow Nvidia Corp. to sell its powerful H200 processors to the world’s second-largest economy. A House foreign affairs committee approved bipartisan legislation on Wednesday that calls for congressional oversight of advanced AI chip exports similar to arms sales. Beyond oversight, the bill, supported by both Republicans and Democrats on the panel, would impose a two-year ban on sales of Nvidia’s more advanced Blackwell chips to China, effectively codifying current export controls into law. The bill responds to President Donald Trump’s decision last month to ease long-standing export controls on China. This move aimed to promote adoption of American AI technology worldwide but sparked strong opposition from national security hawks in Congress. Trump’s approval of Nvidia’s H200 sales to Chinese customers was formalized last week through a new Commerce Department rule. The committee passed the bill by a 42-2 vote, and the legislation now moves to the House floor for a vote. While the Senate has yet to release a companion bill, lawmakers there have introduced separate legislation that would effectively block H200 sales. “I have been so worried that the president wouldn’t stop at just H200s, ” Representative Gregory Meeks, the committee’s top Democrat, said Wednesday.

He emphasized that lawmakers want to "send a clear message that our national security, our foreign policy, and our technological crown jewels are not for sale. " Under the proposed legislation, the administration would be required to notify Congress before approving sales of advanced AI chips, granting lawmakers the power to review and potentially block export licenses to China, Russia, Iran, and other adversaries through a joint resolution. The bill also allows members of the House Foreign Affairs and Senate Banking committees to access data on the volume of chips intended for export and the identities of buyers. Additionally, the legislation establishes exemptions for so-called “trusted” U. S. AI companies to receive licenses when exporting chips to U. S. allies and neutral countries—an approach praised by Microsoft executive Fred Humphries—and mandates the administration to submit a strategy outlining its policy to maintain the U. S. lead in the AI race.