Lutnick Agrees to Testify Dec. 10 as Nvidia Scandal Draws GOP Fire
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Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has agreed to testify before the Senate Banking Committee on Dec. 10 about the Commerce Department's handling of AI chip exports, according to CBS News, which cited a U.S. official. The decision follows pressure from both parties after Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang resigned amid reports of an affair with a suspected Chinese spy.
NBC News reported that a Lutnick spokesperson, Kristen Eichamer, said the secretary had proactively agreed to appear voluntarily to answer the committee's questions.
What lawmakers are asking
Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., who chairs the Banking Committee, sent letters Thursday asking Huang and Lutnick to appear voluntarily on Dec. 3 and Dec. 10, respectively. Scott wrote that Commerce plays a central role in issuing and enforcing export control rules, making Lutnick's testimony essential to oversight. Representatives for Huang did not immediately respond to NBC's request for comment.
On the House side, Rep. Brian Mast, R-Fla., who chairs the Foreign Affairs Committee, said Huang had agreed to brief lawmakers, with the date and venue still under negotiation. Mast asked Huang to appear Dec. 1 for a closed-door, transcribed interview and said a subpoena would follow if Huang did not confirm by Friday evening.
CBS reported that Republicans are also asking why Commerce apparently delayed adding Singapore-based Megaspeed International to the government's Entity List, a step that would have limited its access to advanced AI chips. The U.S. government suspects the company of steering Nvidia chips to China. CBS said Megaspeed was previously led by Alice Huang, the suspected spy who had the affair with Jensen Huang. Nvidia has said it complies with U.S. export laws.
Where each side stands
Lawmakers pressing Lutnick. Sen. Jim Banks, R-Ind., told Fox News that Commerce appears to have used loopholes to allow chip sales despite President Donald Trump's orders to stop them. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said Lutnick should come voluntarily but may need to be subpoenaed otherwise, and asked whether export controls were relaxed. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., demanded that Lutnick explain why export loopholes remain open. Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., said he should testify without a subpoena.
Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., wants answers sooner. He urged Lutnick to testify before Thanksgiving, saying it would be wise to do so before Democrats take control of both chambers next year. Tillis leaves Congress in January.
The administration. The White House defended Lutnick, saying the president maintains complete confidence in him. Meanwhile, CBS reported that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent pointed the finger at Commerce. Bessent told CNBC that Treasury, the Pentagon, the U.S. Trade Representative and State had favored listing Megaspeed for months, but that “Commerce has the pen.” He said Commerce would have to explain its internal processes and declined to comment on reported tensions with Lutnick. The Commerce Department did not immediately respond to CBS's request for comment.
What this means for the chip export debate
The hearing puts the Commerce Department's export rules under direct public questioning. Lawmakers say they are worried that advanced Nvidia chips may have been smuggled or accessed by AI companies in China. Democrats on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, including Reps. Gregory Meeks, Gabe Amo and Sydney Kamlager-Dove, wrote Monday demanding answers on the administration's approval of advanced AI chip exports, citing alarming reports of potential Chinese intelligence ties to Huang.
Huang had previously praised Lutnick, saying at a September 2025 Nvidia panel that Lutnick was the person he talked to most in the administration.
What happens next
The Senate Banking Committee's requested hearings are set for Dec. 3 and Dec. 10, and the House Foreign Affairs Committee wants Huang on Dec. 1. Whether Huang will appear on Dec. 3 was not disclosed.
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