U.S. bipartisan chip export control legislation targeting AI chip sales to China faces delays in Senate floor scheduling.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer is pressing Majority Leader John Thune to bring three chip export restriction bills to a Senate vote. The AI OVERWATCH Act, the MATCH Act, and the Chip Security Act—all with bipartisan support—are expected to be incorporated into the $1.15 trillion defense spending bill for fiscal 2027. The three bills overwhelmingly passed House committees earlier this year but remain stalled as Democrats have blocked the broader defense spending bill over objections to the war in Iran.

"The Senate could pass all three bills today and protect our national security and keep U.S. AI tech out of China's hands," Schumer said during a Democratic press briefing on Wednesday. "Trump is handing China the technology it needs to win the AI race." However, with midterm elections approaching, passage before then appears unlikely.

Senator Elizabeth Warren has raised concerns about the role of Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang in ongoing U.S.-China negotiations. Huang is scheduled to attend a Trump-Xi state dinner on Thursday evening alongside other tech executives. "We certainly should not be letting tech billionaires like Nvidia's Jensen Huang negotiate away our export controls or decide our AI policy to benefit his own personal bottom line," Warren said.

The AI OVERWATCH Act would tighten U.S. export controls on advanced AI chips to foreign adversaries, passing the House Committee on Foreign Affairs 42–2. The MATCH Act restricts China's access to advanced chipmaking equipment and passed the House Committee on Foreign Affairs 36–8. The Chip Security Act targets smuggling and diversion tactics used to traffic advanced AI chips to China, passing the House committee unanimously 42–0.

The legislation would affect major U.S. chipmakers including Nvidia, AMD, and Intel, as well as chipmaking equipment manufacturers such as Applied Materials, Lam Research, and KLA.