Ex-Officials Back Bill Giving US Firms Dibs Over China in Chip Sales
A group of 18 national security experts, including several former government officials, urged Congress Oct. 30 to pass legislation that would restrict U.S. sales of advanced AI chips to China and other arms-embargoed countries if there's unmet demand from American firms.
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In a letter to House and Senate leaders, the experts said many U.S. companies face backlogged orders due to "limited production lines and inputs." The Guaranteeing Access and Innovation for National Artificial Intelligence Act, or Gain AI Act, would take “commonsense steps to ensure that advanced AI chips are made available to American innovators before going to competitors and adversaries.”
The letter's authors insisted that this approach "is not protectionism -- it is prioritization. When capacity is limited, ensuring American access first is the only responsible course."
The authors included Brad Carson, president of the tech policy nonprofit Americans for Responsible Innovation and former undersecretary of the Army; Matt Pottinger, chairman of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies’ China Program and former deputy national security adviser; and David Feith, former deputy assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific Affairs.
The Gain AI Act is included in the Senate-passed FY 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (see 2510100015). Lawmakers are working to reconcile the Senate NDAA with the House version.
The Semiconductor Industry Association urged Congress in September to reject the Gain AI Act, saying it was too complex (see 2509080065). The bill’s author, Sen. Jim Banks, R-Ind., recently proposed several changes to try to soften opposition (see 2510240052).