Senators push SAFE Chips Act to give Congress control over AI chip exports to China

Senators Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Chris Coons (D-DE), and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) advanced the SAFE Chips Act in February 2026 to lock current AI chip export controls into statute, preventing the Trump administration from unilaterally relaxing restrictions on advanced AI accelerators sold to China for 30 months. The bill required the Commerce Department to brief congressional committees before any proposed changes, following reports that Trump officials were considering relaxing Biden-era controls to advance trade negotiations with Beijing.