The key facts

  • Huang agreed to testify before Thanksgiving after threats of a subpoena
  • The testimony will take place behind closed doors, but with video recording and a transcript
  • The initiators were committee chairmen Mast, Moolenaar, and Crawford

Agreement to Testify

Former Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has agreed to testify before Congress, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Brian Mast said on Thursday, citing Bloomberg and NBC News, TechCrunch reports. Huang stepped down as head of the company following publications about an alleged relationship with a woman suspected of spying for China. The agreement was reached on Wednesday after several senior lawmakers threatened to subpoena him. The testimony is expected to take place before Thanksgiving, which falls at the end of this month.

Where the Pressure Came From

The development followed a November 4 letter sent to Huang by Republicans Brian Mast, John Moolenaar, and Rick Crawford, asking him to appear before their committees. Moolenaar chairs the House's separate Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, Mast chairs the Foreign Affairs Committee, and Crawford chairs the Intelligence Committee. 'Jensen and I have disagreed very strongly, as some of you already know, on export control issues, but Nvidia is a very important company for the United States of America,' Mast told reporters. According to him, he does not want Nvidia to be harmed, but Huang 'has very serious questions that need to be answered.'

Format of the Testimony

The testimony will take place behind closed doors, but Mast said he expects the briefing to be recorded on video and transcribed. This means that the content of Huang's remarks will likely become available beyond a narrow circle of participants, although no public hearings are planned. The reports do not specify the exact date of the testimony or the list of committees before which he will answer questions.