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A congressional committee has officially advanced a bipartisan bill that would give Congress the authority to review and potentially block exports of advanced artificial intelligence chips to foreign adversaries.

Getting into it: Dubbed the “AI Overwatch Act,” the legislation was introduced in December by Rep. Brian Mast (R-FL), chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. The bill mandates that both the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the Senate Banking Committee receive a 30-day review window for any license applications to export advanced AI chips to nations deemed adversaries (including China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, Cuba, and Venezuela). It also requires the U.S. Department of Commerce to brief lawmakers with detailed application materials proving that the chips won’t be used for military, intelligence, or surveillance operations by hostile governments.

Supporters of the bill frame it as a necessary safeguard in an emerging AI arms race, arguing that the export of high-performance chips must be treated like arms sales. Congressman Mast said, “These advanced chips need to fall under the same oversight as any other military-related system, This is about the future of military warfare.” Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-NY), the committee’s top Democrat, added that the bill “puts in place robust guardrails that would delay those sales and allow for congressional review and oversight going forward.”

Critics of the bill, however, argue it could unnecessarily limit presidential authority and is being misrepresented for political purposes. White House AI czar David Sacks shared an X post labeling the bill a scheme by “Never Trumpers” and former Obama and Biden staffers to undercut Trump’s “America First” approach. Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA), who voted “present,” warned the bill risked turning Congress into an ineffective regulatory body, saying, “Let me assure you, Congress is not a good regulator.”

This comes as the White House has not officially commented on the legislation.