Sen. Dave McCormick, R-Pa., questioned President Donald Trump's decision to allow the export of NVIDIA's H200-class artificial intelligence chips to China as part of broader negotiations on agricultural market access.
Mediaite reported that McCormick was asked this week at the Aspen Institute for his reaction to the administration's decision to allow the sales.
"I'm concerned," he said. "I'm not clear on why that is the right path for us, and I want to be convinced because I keep asking the question."
He said the argument presented to him is that providing China with controlled, reduced-capability chips might slow Beijing's race to advance its own technology.
"I don't think that's been the experience," McCormick said. "I think you can count on China to be doing everything in its power to develop its own independent capacity, and that America's position should be, in my opinion, doing everything we can to maintain a lead."
He said he does not see how exporting the chips would slow China's progress.
"It appears to me that by exporting those chips, it's not clear to me how that would in any way slow their advances, and it seems more likely that it would accelerate them," he said.
McCormick said that concern is why he co-sponsored two bills aimed at limiting such exports, identifying them as the GAIN AI Act and the SAFE Chips Act.
He said those measures are designed to "put brakes on that" while Congress evaluates the national security implications.
McCormick also said maintaining U.S. leadership in advanced computing is central to competition with China.
The administration's export decision applies to an H200-series chip that is a reduced-power version of NVIDIA's top data-center hardware.
The chip meets U.S. export-control rules because its interconnect speed, performance ceiling, and scalability are capped below the thresholds that define restricted high-end systems.
Industry analysts describe the chip as functional but not top-tier, noting it was engineered specifically to comply with national security limits while still allowing limited commercial sales to China.
Supporters of the decision argue that controlled sales may stabilize trade channels without giving China access to cutting-edge capabilities.
Critics say even reduced-power chips can help China advance its domestic AI development, particularly in training mid-scale systems that support military and state-directed projects.
McCormick said he remains open to administration briefings but does not see the strategic benefit.
"I certainly see the need to maintain leadership," he said. "And I want to do everything I can to make sure America remains at the forefront of this important battle."
Jim Mishler ✉
Jim Mishler, a seasoned reporter, anchor and news director, has decades of experience covering crime, politics and environmental issues.
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