Jensen Huang agrees to closed-door Congressional testimony

By Amara Osei

Jensen Huang has agreed to testify before Congress by Thanksgiving, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Brian Mast said Thursday, with the former Nvidia CEO due to appear Wednesday behind closed doors.

Mast disclosed the agreement in reports from Bloomberg and NBC News. He said Huang agreed after several senior lawmakers threatened to subpoena him. The announcement sets a broad outer date—Thanksgiving, which falls later this month—for the congressional briefing.

Mast said: “Jensen and I have been very at odds as some of you already know on export controls, but Nvidia is a very important company to the United States of America.” He added: “I don’t want to see anything hurt in Nvidia, but he has some very serious questions to answer.”

What prompted the testimony?

On November 4, House Republicans Brian Mast, John Moolenaar and Rick Crawford sent Huang a letter requesting that he appear before their committees. The request covers three committee jurisdictions:

• Brian Mast: House Committee on Foreign Affairs.
• John Moolenaar: House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party.
• Rick Crawford: House Intelligence Committee.

Mast said the agreement came after lawmakers threatened a subpoena. That sequence matters: the request began with a committee letter, while the threat of compulsory testimony supplied the pressure needed to secure Huang’s participation.

The exchange separates the congressional objective from any damage to Nvidia. Mast wants access to Huang’s answers, but his statement also makes clear that the company’s standing in the United States remains relevant to the inquiry.

In practical terms, the dispute has moved from a formal request to an agreed briefing without a public hearing.

Why is Huang facing Congress?

The reporting placed Huang’s departure in the same political context. He stepped down as Nvidia chief following reports of an alleged affair with a woman suspected of spying for China. The announcement supplied no further evidence or detail about that allegation and does not make it the sole subject of the hearing.

Mast’s comments identify export controls as the more immediate policy fault line between him and Huang. The announcement lists no specific export-control measure, transaction or corporate penalty for the committees to examine.

In short, lawmakers have a named witness and a clear policy disagreement, but no published question list.

How will the briefing work?

Mast said the testimony will take place behind closed doors. He expects Congress to record the session on video and produce a transcript. The arrangement would give lawmakers a documented record of the answers without making the questioning public at the time it occurs.

A video record preserves Huang’s responses and the sequence of questioning. A written transcript supports later review and citation in committee work. Mast did not say when either record would be ready, whether officials would release it publicly or who would receive a copy.

The lack of an open session also means observers may have to rely on the recording and transcript rather than a live account. That places greater weight on Mast’s description of the format, because his announcement provides no agenda, additional witness list or exact calendar date.

In practical terms, the plan produces a documented congressional record rather than an open hearing.

What remains unresolved?

Mast disclosed two timing markers: an agreement to testify Wednesday and a commitment to testify by Thanksgiving later this month. He did not name an exact calendar date, venue, committee order or subject sequence. The announcement also said nothing about whether the earlier subpoena threats have been withdrawn.

The agreement gives the committees a route to question Huang without immediately using compulsory process, although that choice remains subject to the promised briefing. The announcement disclosed no public hearing, financial charge, contract change or operational effect on Nvidia.

The next checkpoint is Huang’s closed-door briefing; the public record will depend on what is asked and whether the video and transcript are released.