Vol. II, No. 186 From Our Region to Yours
Politics

Speaker Johnson Reports a Consensus Developing in Congress. Nobody Make Any Sudden Movements.

Johnson says he favors limiting chip exports to China and that lawmakers are coming around. This reporter has covered eleven administrations and has never seen one finish.

By 2 min read

A round 12-inch silicon wafer photographed from above on a pale background, its surface covered in a grid of identical rectangular chips that shimmer green, blue, purple and orange where the light hits them.
A silicon wafer. Congress currently agrees it should not go to China, and is trying not to look at it directly. Photo: Peellden / CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

WASHINGTON — House Speaker Mike Johnson said Thursday that Congress is developing a consensus on limiting chip exports to China, Reuters reported.

“The export controls on chips to China has been a big issue around here. I’m in favor of limiting those exports, and I think there’s a developing consensus in Congress that is an important position to take. Especially in the light of recent developments, it makes sense,” Johnson told reporters.

This reporter has covered eleven administrations. He has watched many things develop in Congress. Feuds. Rashes. A consensus has been sighted before. Nobody has ever seen one fully grown.

Reuters labeled its own story “developing.” So did the speaker. Only one of them is expected to be finished by tonight.

The recent developments

The recent developments arrived Thursday morning. Nvidia announced that Jensen Huang had resigned as president, chief executive and board member, effective immediately. Chief financial officer Colette Kress is interim chief executive. She is keeping the finance job too.

So it took one resignation, a stock drop and a suspected spy for Congress to agree on something. A post office naming usually takes less.

Huang left under pressure. Reuters reported he had an affair with an executive at Megaspeed whom U.S. authorities suspect of spying for Beijing. Washington suspects Megaspeed, an Nvidia cloud partner, of helping China obtain chips restricted under U.S. export controls.

Megaspeed has denied wrongdoing, CNBC reported earlier this week. China has called the spying allegation a smear.

Nvidia stock fell more than 13 percent at the open, CNBC reported. The company slipped below $4 trillion in market value. It was on pace for its worst day since January 2025.

How a consensus develops

A consensus in Congress is a shy animal. It feeds at dusk. It will not approach a microphone. Take a whip count too early and it bolts for the cloakroom.

Johnson did not name a bill. This is standard practice. A consensus lives longest before anyone writes it down.

He did not give a date either. Veteran House reporters know the rule. You do not make eye contact. You do not reach for the notebook. You wait.

The committee

House Foreign Affairs Chairman Brian Mast told reporters Thursday that congressional staff spoke with Nvidia’s team Wednesday night, Reuters reported. He expects Huang to testify sometime within the next week.

“He has agreed to come,” Mast said, according to CNBC. “We’re in negotiations for which day.” Mast said he had told Huang he would subpoena him if necessary.

“We want to see him basically in a week,” Mast said. “Sooner rather than later.”

In this building, sooner rather than later is a direction. It is not a date.

The window

Nvidia reports third-quarter results on Nov. 17, the company said. Huang is expected on Capitol Hill around the same week. Congress is expected to keep developing.

This reporter has one question for the speaker. When will the consensus be finished? He is not going to ask it out loud. It is still developing.

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