Senate Democrats push trio of bills to block China from access to AI chips

Senate Democrats are sending a message to President Trump as he meets with Chinese President Xi Jinping: It is time to block China from accessing U.S. artificial intelligence chips and manufacturing equipment.

They suggested Republicans could help drive that message home by agreeing to quickly pass a trio of bills that would ban exports to China of AI chips and other equipment used to make them and track chips exported to other countries to ensure they do not subsequently end up in China.

“Trump is currently giving away our greatest advantage in the AI race by greenlighting the sale of advanced AI chips to China,” said Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer, New York Democrat

Sen. Andy Kim, New Jersey Democrat, said preventing China from undercutting the U.S. on chipmaking technology is not just about the AI race but about support for other vital sectors, such as healthcare, biotechnology and medical research.

“There’s plenty of demand within the United States and amongst our allies and partners for the chips that are out there,” he said. “Why would we give China the tools to be able to make their own chips, which would then undermine our own companies like Nvidia from continuing to have their dominance?”

Nvidia is opposed to export controls, but that has not stopped the Match Act, the AI Overwatch Act and the Chip Security Act from gaining broad bipartisan support.

“The Senate could pass all three bills today and protect our national security and keep U.S. AI tech out of China’s hands,” Mr. Schumer said.

He did not say whether Democrats would attempt to pass the bills by unanimous consent, but that is the primary strategy for forcing a quick vote in the Senate.

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Senators added the export control bills to their version of the annual defense authorization bill, but Democrats blocked the measure from being debated on the floor in protest over the Iran war.

The House has already adjourned through the midterm election, so even if the Senate were to pass the export control bills as standalone measures, there is no chance of them reaching Mr. Trump’s desk before November.

The bills are likely to remain part of the defense authorization negotiations, with the House and Senate aiming to come up with a bicameral, bipartisan package that can pass before the end of the year.

Mr. Schumer said because China is not yet capable of making as advanced chips as the U.S., preventing them from buying U.S. technology puts them in a “more supplicant position” when it comes to broader AI negotiations.

“We will have greater bargaining power over them, and they will be more likely when we want to impose guardrails worldwide on AI to join us rather than thwart us,” he said.

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Lindsey McPherson

lmcpherson@washingtontimes.com

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