WASHINGTON, D.C. — Reps. Tom Kean, Jr. (R-N.J.) and Julie Johnson (D-Texas) on Wednesday introduced the Stop Stealing Our Chips Act, a bipartisan bill aimed at preventing the smuggling of American-made artificial intelligence chips and other sensitive technologies into China.
The legislation would create a whistleblower incentive program within the Bureau of Industry and Security, expanding the federal government’s ability to detect and enforce export control violations involving high-value U.S. technology. The measure is backed by leaders of the House Select Committee on China, including Chairman John Moolenaar (R-Mich.) and Ranking Member Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.), as well as House Republican Conference Chairwoman Lisa McClain (R-Mich.) and Rep. Josh Harder (D-Calif.).
“China and other foreign adversaries are actively working to circumvent U.S. export control laws and illegally obtain advanced American chips and other sensitive technologies. I introduced the Stop Stealing Our Chips Act to help authorities identify and mitigate those threats. By offering robust protections and meaningful financial incentives for whistleblowers with credible information, we can strengthen enforcement, prevent violations before they occur, and protect our national security,” Kean said.
Johnson emphasized the importance of safeguarding American innovation. “America’s technological leadership is one of our greatest strategic advantages — and we cannot allow foreign adversaries to steal it, risking our national security. This is especially important in my district, home to Texas Instruments headquarters — one of the top semiconductor companies in the world — as well as Qorvo, which produces critical components for F-35s and other key defense technologies, and many more. The Stop Stealing Our Chips Act is a commonsense, bipartisan step to protect our most sensitive supply chains and ensure that the innovations powering our economy and safety stay in American hands.”
Additional co-sponsors also voiced support for the measure.
Moolenaar called artificial intelligence “the defining technology of the new Cold War,” adding, “Whether the U.S. or China wins this race will be determined in large part by who has more and better chips. The Stop Stealing Our Chips Act will encourage those who witness chip smuggling to speak out while shielding them from retaliation. Whistleblowers who protect our national security deserve to be protected by our laws.”
Krishnamoorthi said the bill would strengthen export control enforcement. “I’m proud to join this bipartisan effort to crack down on the smuggling of advanced U.S. chips to the Chinese Communist Party. A strong whistleblower program at BIS will help surface the facts we too often miss and ensure our export-control laws actually carry weight. Effectively enforcing our export controls is essential to protecting our national security.”
McClain said protecting American technology is central to the legislation. “The Stop Stealing our Chips Act is about protecting America’s technological edge and holding bad actors accountable. By cracking down on illegal exports and empowering whistleblowers, we will make sure U.S.-made AI chips strengthen our future, not our adversaries.”
Harder underscored the importance of U.S. leadership in semiconductor innovation. “U.S. chip leadership is the product of decades of American innovation and central to our economic and national security. The Stop Stealing Our Chips Act is a common-sense measure to maintain this hard-won advantage and prevent China from using American technology against us.”
