Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has agreed to testify before Congress about the Nvidia scandal, setting up a public hearing on December 10 that will put the Commerce Department's handling of the scandal under direct scrutiny. His spokesperson, Kristen Eichamer, told NBC News on Thursday, November 12, 2026, that Lutnick had volunteered to appear before the Senate Banking Committee.

The agreement came the same day Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina, the committee's chairman, formally invited Lutnick and former Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang to testify at separate public hearings in December.

Key Points

• Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick will appear voluntarily before the Senate Banking Committee on the Nvidia scandal, spokesperson Kristen Eichamer told NBC News on Thursday, November 12, 2026.
• Senate Banking Committee Chairman Tim Scott asked Lutnick to testify at a public hearing on December 10 and former Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang to testify on December 3.
• The hearings will examine "recent public reports about Nvidia and the Department of Commerce's role that raises national security concerns," according to Scott's letters.
• Huang resigned on Thursday, November 12, after revelations of affairs including one with Alice Huang, a former Megaspeed executive US intelligence suspects of being a Chinese spy.
• House Foreign Affairs Chairman Brian Mast asked Huang to appear for a closed-door interview on December 1, warning of a subpoena if he did not confirm by Friday evening.

What Happened

Lutnick's decision was announced hours after Scott sent his invitations. Eichamer told NBC News: "Secretary Lutnick has proactively agreed to appear voluntarily before the Banking Committee to address their questions." He did not wait for a subpoena or ask for a closed-door hearing. He volunteered for a public hearing, so his answers will be heard in full.

Scott's letters set out the scope of the inquiry. The chairman asked both men to testify about "recent public reports about Nvidia and the Department of Commerce's role that raises national security concerns." That puts the department itself, not just the company, at the centre of the inquiry. Senators will ask what export approvals it granted, what warnings it received, and whether it moved fast enough when the reports about Huang and Alice Huang emerged.

The dates give the story a clear calendar. Huang testifies first, on December 3, and Lutnick follows a week later, on December 10. The order matters: the committee hears the former chief executive first, so by the time Lutnick takes his seat, senators will have Huang's account on the record to test him against. Huang also faces Mast's closed-door interview on December 1.

Background and Context

The Nvidia scandal has moved with extraordinary speed. Huang resigned on Thursday, November 12, after revelations of affairs including one with Alice Huang, a former Megaspeed executive US intelligence suspects of working for China. The resignation ended his 33-year run at the company he co-founded in 1993. Within hours, Huang had also agreed to testify, and more than 1,600 Nvidia staff rallied behind his return.

The scandal sits where two Washington issues meet: the race over advanced computer chips and who in government is responsible for keeping them out of the wrong hands. Nvidia makes the most advanced artificial intelligence chips in the world, and the Commerce Department controls the export rules that decide who can buy them. Any suggestion that those rules were bent, ignored or applied too slowly is a national security question, not just a corporate one. Lutnick has faced the chip question before: earlier reporting described how President Donald Trump approved a crackdown on Nvidia chip sales three times, only for Lutnick to keep stalling it.

Lutnick Testimony Puts Commerce Department in the Spotlight

The December 10 hearing will be Lutnick's first chance to give his own account in public. Cabinet secretaries rarely testify about scandals involving companies they regulated. He volunteered, so he cannot later say he was dragged before the committee, and the hearing is public, so every answer will be on the record for other committees, prosecutors and the press.

Senators are expected to press Lutnick on the export approvals at the heart of a separate Democratic-led investigation launched on November 12 by the Senate Finance Committee and the House Ways and Means Committee. They will ask which approvals were granted, who signed them, what warnings the department received about Megaspeed and Alice Huang, and whether any approval came after it had reason to be concerned.

Reactions and Quotes

Eichamer's statement was the only comment from Lutnick's office in the reports checked for this story, and it was carefully worded. By saying Lutnick had "proactively agreed to appear voluntarily," the spokesperson framed it as the secretary's own initiative, not a concession forced by a subpoena threat. The phrase "to address their questions" presents the hearing as a straightforward exchange, not a confrontation.

Why It Matters

The Lutnick hearing matters because it goes to the heart of how the United States controls its most sensitive technology. Nvidia's chips power the artificial intelligence systems that governments around the world are racing to build, and the export rules are the main tool Washington has to decide who gets them.

It also matters politically. Lutnick is one of the most prominent members of the cabinet, and a public hearing in which he is questioned about a spy scandal is a major moment for the administration. How he performs on December 10 will shape perceptions of his department and of the administration's handling of the affair. A strong performance could steady the story; a weak one could deepen it and give momentum to the investigation.

What Happens Next

The calendar is now fixed. On December 1, Huang is due to sit for a closed-door transcribed interview with the House Foreign Affairs Committee. On December 3, he testifies in public before the Senate Banking Committee. On December 10, Lutnick takes his seat before the same committee, a week after Huang has given his account. Before then, the Democratic-led investigation into export approvals will keep gathering material.

Frequently Asked Questions

When will Howard Lutnick testify to Congress?
At a public Senate Banking Committee hearing on December 10, 2026. His spokesperson said he volunteered.

What is the Nvidia scandal about?
Former Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang resigned on November 12, 2026, after revelations of affairs including one with Alice Huang, a former Megaspeed executive US intelligence suspects of being a Chinese spy.

When does Jensen Huang testify?
Before the Senate Banking Committee on December 3, 2026, and in a closed-door House Foreign Affairs interview on December 1. Chairman Brian Mast warned of a subpoena if he did not confirm by Friday evening.

Who is investigating the export approvals?
The Senate Finance and House Ways and Means committees launched one on November 12.

Why did Lutnick agree to testify voluntarily?
Spokesperson Kristen Eichamer said Lutnick "proactively agreed to appear voluntarily." He did not wait for a subpoena, and the hearing will be public.

Read more on the Nvidia scandal: Jensen Huang agrees to testify before Congress in Nvidia China spy probe and Trump approved Nvidia chip crackdown three times but Lutnick keeps stalling it. For the wider picture, see US memo says Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang had romantic ties to alleged China spy.