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Hearing FY27 BIS Budget: the AI Arms Race and the ICTS Office
house Foreign Affairs Committee · Jul 14, 2026 · Transcript · 88 transcript matches
MAST, BRIAN J. "That's why we are proposing these bills. We support the president's request to increase BIS's budget because that's what is needed to get the job done in this high-stakes race. There have been significant enforcement successes. But key orders from the president need to be fulfilled 100%. BIS has not added entities to the list in 2025 since October of 25. BIS, it is important that BIS makes licensing decision, including denials in a timely manner and provides clarity to American businesses. BIS and the House Foreign Affairs Committee working together have to carry out the president's"
CRS Report
U.S. Export Controls and China
Resources · Mar 24, 2022
Since 2018, Congress and the executive branch have revised—through legislation, regulation, and licensing practices—the U.S. export control system that regulates dual-use exports (goods and...
CRS Report
The Biden Administration’s New Restrictions on Firearms Sales
Resources · May 29, 2024
Federal firearms policies and changes to firearms regulations are subjects of ongoing congressional interest. The Biden Administration made several recent changes to firearms regulations, including...
Testimony DUCKWORTH, TAMMY
Business meeting to markup S.1759, to allow for the operation of civil...
senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee · Jul 22, 2026
"The amendment is technical and 100% in support of aligning with the connected vehicle rule. It affords industry regulatory certainty and recognizes the ongoing efforts to onshore production. And the rule states, BIS also recognized, and I quote, BIS also recognizes that the traditional battery management system does not have its own external wireless data link, which is why it rejects commenters' recommendations to include BMS. And if an infotainment module or a battery management system..."
Testimony MAST, BRIAN J.
FY27 BIS Budget: the AI Arms Race and the ICTS Office
house Foreign Affairs Committee · Jul 14, 2026
"That's why we are proposing these bills. We support the president's request to increase BIS's budget because that's what is needed to get the job done in this high-stakes race. There have been significant enforcement successes. But key orders from the president need to be fulfilled 100%. BIS has not added entities to the list in 2025 since October of 25. BIS, it is important that BIS makes licensing decision, including denials in a timely manner and provides clarity to American businesses. BIS..."
Testimony JEFFREY KESSLER
FY27 BIS Budget: the AI Arms Race and the ICTS Office
house Foreign Affairs Committee · Jul 14, 2026
"It also prohibits foreign adversary connected hardware in U.S. passenger vehicles starting in model year 2030. BIS's enforcement of this rule has already made Americans safer. Following discussions with BIS, several auto companies have decided to excise foreign adversary technology from their U.S. product offerings. Following discussions with BIS, several auto companies have decided to excise foreign adversary technology from their U.S. product offerings. These companies understand that BIS..."
Testimony HUIZENGA, BILL
FY27 BIS Budget: the AI Arms Race and the ICTS Office
house Foreign Affairs Committee · Jul 14, 2026
"Dozens of ambassadorial posts remain vacant, and many of our embassies and diplomatic missions are operating with reduced staffing, which limits our ability to engage foreign partners and enforce U.S. policies abroad. Export control officers are BIS's frontline enforcement officials overseas. They monitor compliance with U.S. export controls, investigate potential violations, and work with foreign governments to protect sensitive American technologies. In 2024, BIS approved licenses for over..."
Testimony KIM, YOUNG
FY27 BIS Budget: the AI Arms Race and the ICTS Office
house Foreign Affairs Committee · Jul 14, 2026
"Certainly. You know, BIS has historically worked with the private sector through technical advisory committees as well as internal compliance departments. So Undersecretary, you have previously discussed the importance of a dialogue with industry given the speed and the scale of the technologies that is under your jurisdiction. So can you talk about the collaboration between BIS and the private sector and how the industry assists BIS on issues of compliance or enforcement? So can you talk about..."
Testimony CASTRO, JOAQUIN
FY27 BIS Budget: the AI Arms Race and the ICTS Office
house Foreign Affairs Committee · Jul 14, 2026
"Well, then, I guess that's why I'm confused, because in September 2025, you rescinded the April 30th, 2024 BIS regulations that added safeguards for the export of firearms and stopped notifying the Congress about exports of these weapons, and the Trump administration's State Department, if the Trump administration's State Department and Secretary Rubio are trying to help Mexico and countries like Haiti track and stop these firearms from getting into the hands of designated foreign terrorist..."
Testimony STANTON, GREG
FY27 BIS Budget: the AI Arms Race and the ICTS Office
house Foreign Affairs Committee · Jul 14, 2026
"Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. Thank you, Undersecretary Kessler, for being here today for this important hearing. It is very concerning that since you took over the Bureau of Information Security, BIS, in March of last year, BIS has published the fewest rules of any year in more than two decades. The administration has also not added any new entity to the government's blacklist since October, the longest period of inaction since"
Testimony MILLER, MAX L.
FY27 BIS Budget: the AI Arms Race and the ICTS Office
house Foreign Affairs Committee · Jul 14, 2026
"I'm sure it's going to be, you know, a little bit longer, shouldn't be too much longer. Under your leadership, has BIS looked into this problem and do you believe that an expansion of BIS authority to list U.S. incorporated entities affiliated with foreign adversarial companies on the entities list is necessary? Yeah, thank you very"
Testimony SPEAKER_04
Hearings to examine AI and the American dream, focusing on promoting i...
senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee · Jun 11, 2026
"Senator, I think it's a fantastic question. BIS, strengthening BIS. In short, export controls are only going to be effective if the Bureau, if the agency charged with doing that work can effectively administer those programs. And right now I think we've seen, at least what I've heard from ITI companies, is a real challenge in BIS's ability to administer the export controls that are on the books. Thank you. I'm glad you The average American interacts with a data center more than a hundred times..."
Testimony KIM, ANDY
Hearings to examine AI and the American dream, focusing on promoting i...
senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee · Jun 11, 2026
"And so to that end, I ask for unanimous consent to place a letter of support for the MATCH Act signed by a broad-based coalition of stakeholders into the record. You know, Mr. Flynn, I don't necessarily have a question here, but I just wanted to thank you for bringing up the importance of supporting BIS and making sure that as we're pushing forward on the HISS expert controls, that we have the effort to be able to come behind that. And to my colleagues here in the committee, you know, I'm..."
CRS Report
Export Controls: Key Challenges
Resources · Jan 14, 2021
Overview Congress has authorized the President to control the export of various items for national security, foreign policy, and economic reasons. Separate programs and statutes exist for controlling...
Hearing Business meeting to consider the nominations of Christopher Phelan, of Minnesota, to be Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers, John Crews,...
senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee · Jul 23, 2026 · Transcript · 4 transcript matches
MS. ABBY WARREN "department's national security and economic missions. The Bureau of Industry and Security plays a vital role in protecting the national security, economic security, and unmatched technological achievement and scientific innovation of the United States. Export controls are among the most important tools available to ensure that America's most sensitive technologies, products, and expertise do not contribute to the military modernization or strategic ambitions of our adversaries. At the same time, BIS helps preserve the conditions that prevent the theft of American intellectual property and..."
CRS Report
National Security Review Bodies (Part I): Legal Context and Comparison
Posts · Sep 6, 2023
Federal law creates several frameworks that allow the United States to review the national security risks posed by some private commercial transactions. These legal frameworks give the United States...
CRS Report
Digital Biology: Implications of Genetic Sequencing
Resources · Mar 23, 2023
Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is the molecule that carries genetic information of an organism. This genetic code is composed of nucleotide bases (A, T, C, and G). The sequence of these bases encodes...
CRS Report
Overview of Correspondent Banking and “DeRisking” Issues
Resources · Apr 8, 2022
What Is Correspondent Banking? In broad terms, correspondent banking refers to formal agreements or relationships between banks to provide payment services for each other. It is often used to...
CRS Report
“Zombie” Companies: Background and Policy Issues
Resources · Oct 29, 2020
“Zombie” companies are mature companies that have not generated sufficient profits to cover their debt borrowing costs over a period of years. Such companies are characterized by prolonged...
CRS Report
U.S. Crude Oil Export Policy: Background and Considerations
Reports · Dec 31, 2014
During an era of oil price controls and following the 1973 Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries oil embargo, Congress passed the Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975 (EPCA), which...
CRS Report
Russia’s War on Ukraine: Financial and Trade Sanctions
Resources · Feb 22, 2023
In February 2022, Russia launched a new, expanded war on Ukraine. The United States and allies responded with wide-ranging sanctions on Russia that are unprecedented in terms of their...
CRS Report
The U.S. Dollar as the World’s Dominant Reserve Currency
Resources · Sep 15, 2022
The U.S. dollar is the world’s dominant reserve currency, among other such currencies including the euro, the yen, the pound, the renminbi (RMB), the Canadian dollar, the Swiss franc, and the...
CRS Report
COVID-19: Federal Reserve Support for Foreign Central Banks
Resources · Apr 7, 2020
As part of the U.S. response to COVID-19, the U.S. Federal Reserve (Fed) has taken steps to ensure that foreign central banks have uninterrupted access to U.S. dollars. First, the Fed established...
CRS Report
Legal Authority for Export Controls and Tariffs on Semiconductor Chips Sold to China
Legal Sidebar · Mar 23, 2026
Semiconductor chips (also known as computer chips, microelectronic chips, or integrated circuits) have been a focus of U.S. export control policy for several years, partly due to concerns about the...
Hearing More Bang for the Buck: Aligning Commercial Diplomacy Between State and Commerce
house East Asia and Pacific Subcommittee · Jul 14, 2026 · Transcript · 3 transcript matches
MOSKOWITZ, JARED "Well, thank you, my fellow Chair. Glad we could be doing this together. And as Chairman of the subcommittee that oversees both BIS and ITA, I have sort of a unique perspective and jurisdiction over both export controls and export promotion within the Department of Commerce. This morning, our full committee had a hearing with Undersecretary Kessler on export"
CRS Report
U.S.-Proposed Missile Technology Control Regime Changes
InFocus · Sep 17, 2025
Introduction Beginning in 2017, the United States has submitted a series of proposals to the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) partners that would relax the regime’s export guidelines for...
CRS Report
Introduction to Financial Services: International Regulation
Resources · Apr 1, 2025
While financial markets have become global, financial regulation and supervision is conducted by domestic agencies. Thus, domestic regulators take into account how financial institutions and markets...
CRS Report
U.S. Trade Policy: Trade Functions of Key Federal Agencies
Resources · Mar 25, 2025
U.S. trade policy lies at a nexus of foreign and domestic policy. It comprises issues that shape U.S. participation in the global economy and relations with trading partners. It also affects the U.S....
Hearing Business meeting to markup S.1759, to allow for the operation of civil supersonic flight in the national airspace system under certain conditions,...
senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee · Jul 22, 2026 · Transcript · 2 transcript matches
DUCKWORTH, TAMMY "The amendment is technical and 100% in support of aligning with the connected vehicle rule. It affords industry regulatory certainty and recognizes the ongoing efforts to onshore production. And the rule states, BIS also recognized, and I quote, BIS also recognizes that the traditional battery management system does not have its own external wireless data link, which is why it rejects commenters' recommendations to include BMS. And if an infotainment module or a battery management system included in a cellular module for its own wireless communications, those modules should be considered..."
Hearing Hearings to examine AI and the American dream, focusing on promoting innovation, affordability and American dominance.
senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee · Jun 11, 2026 · Transcript · 2 transcript matches
SPEAKER_04 "Senator, I think it's a fantastic question. BIS, strengthening BIS. In short, export controls are only going to be effective if the Bureau, if the agency charged with doing that work can effectively administer those programs. And right now I think we've seen, at least what I've heard from ITI companies, is a real challenge in BIS's ability to administer the export controls that are on the books. Thank you. I'm glad you The average American interacts with a data center more than a hundred times a day. Totally understand the conversation"
Testimony DUCKWORTH, TAMMY
Business meeting to markup S.1759, to allow for the operation of civil...
senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee · Jul 22, 2026
"Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I'd like to call up and offer my bipartisan amendment, Duckworth 1, modified again, that you and Senator Blackburn are co-sponsoring. I understand and support the importance of the Connected Vehicle Security Act and appreciate the committee's focus on addressing risks to our national security posed by connected vehicles. The Duckworth-Cruz-Blackburn amendment would align the definition of connected vehicle hardware with the existing connected vehicle security rule that..."
Testimony MAST, BRIAN J.
FY27 BIS Budget: the AI Arms Race and the ICTS Office
house Foreign Affairs Committee · Jul 14, 2026
"The purpose of today's hearing is to hear from the Undersecretary overseeing the Bureau of Industry and Security regarding the Trump administration's budget request for BIS in fiscal year 27. In particular, the discussion will cover the AI arms race against the Chinese Communist Party and the importance of information and communications technology and services"
Testimony MAST, BRIAN J.
FY27 BIS Budget: the AI Arms Race and the ICTS Office
house Foreign Affairs Committee · Jul 14, 2026
"Stop the commies in Beijing from getting or using our crown jewel technologies against us. BIS is the tip of the spear in this tech war. The BIS Undersecretary is not just a sheriff The BIS Undersecretary is not just a sheriff President Trump has issued four main goals for BIS as a commander's"
Testimony MAST, BRIAN J.
FY27 BIS Budget: the AI Arms Race and the ICTS Office
house Foreign Affairs Committee · Jul 14, 2026
"These are the president's metrics for success. We need to know now what BIS needs to get the job done and I mean the entire job, not just one part of it. Success is not stopping only some of the black wells smuggled into"
Testimony JEFFREY KESSLER
FY27 BIS Budget: the AI Arms Race and the ICTS Office
house Foreign Affairs Committee · Jul 14, 2026
"EIS's enforcement unit has closed out several landmark cases. Within the past year, BIS announced a $252 million settlement with Applied Materials Within the past year, on a case involving the illegal transshipment of semiconductor manufacturing"
Testimony JEFFREY KESSLER
FY27 BIS Budget: the AI Arms Race and the ICTS Office
house Foreign Affairs Committee · Jul 14, 2026
"and penalties in a Bosch case involving the diversion of microelectronics and automotive software to a company on the entity list. In addition to these civil resolutions, our agents, BIS agents, helped obtain indictments charging three individuals in a multibillion-dollar scheme to divert servers containing"
Testimony JEFFREY KESSLER
FY27 BIS Budget: the AI Arms Race and the ICTS Office
house Foreign Affairs Committee · Jul 14, 2026
"Our enforcement officials are overburdened, they have more cases and more leads than they can handle, and more than their peers at, more than their counterparts at peer law enforcement agencies. BIS's Enforcement Unit should be orders of magnitude larger to safeguard critical technologies more effectively. And that's why the President's budget requests an increase for BIS's Enforcement Unit from And that's why the President's budget requests an increase for BIS's Enforcement Unit"
Testimony JEFFREY KESSLER
FY27 BIS Budget: the AI Arms Race and the ICTS Office
house Foreign Affairs Committee · Jul 14, 2026
"This would enable the Enforcement Unit to increase from 299 positions to 669 positions. It would also enable BIS to increase the number of enforcement officials stationed overseas from 25 to 65. The President's budget also seeks smaller but important increases in appropriations for BIS's Export Administration Unit, which handles licensing and supply chain"
Testimony JEFFREY KESSLER
FY27 BIS Budget: the AI Arms Race and the ICTS Office
house Foreign Affairs Committee · Jul 14, 2026
"This includes an $11.7 million increase in 38 positions to add specialized engineers and technical experts to support enforcement by performing the technical assessments and licensing determinations that form the basis for enforcement actions. It also includes an additional $20 million to support BIS's Section 232 program to revitalize industries that are critical to national security. President Trump has revolutionized Section 232 in his first term. and now in the second term, BIS is using..."
Testimony JEFFREY KESSLER
FY27 BIS Budget: the AI Arms Race and the ICTS Office
house Foreign Affairs Committee · Jul 14, 2026
"New factories are springing up across the country, including crude steelmaking capacity, aluminum plants, reshored auto factories, massive new investments in semiconductor and pharmaceutical production, and an additional $20 million investment in the group at BIS that administers Section 232 is well worth the investment. Let me now turn to the Office of Information and Communications Technology and"
Testimony MAST, BRIAN J.
FY27 BIS Budget: the AI Arms Race and the ICTS Office
house Foreign Affairs Committee · Jul 14, 2026
"I want to begin by this. You talked about the increase for the BIS budget. I think we could easily see the need to double it beyond the number that we're doubling it to right now because of the nature of the threat that is going on right here and the importance of this to the globe. So we know for a fact China is getting its hands on our most advanced AI technologies. It's not"
Testimony MAST, BRIAN J.
FY27 BIS Budget: the AI Arms Race and the ICTS Office
house Foreign Affairs Committee · Jul 14, 2026
"like Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand. They are working to do this on a daily basis in other countries, and they're still – they have access to technology from the U.S. and its allies to make its own chips, and they're trying to get that access through other allied countries on a daily basis. These are what China is working at every single day. That is the way in which they present the threat to your office. That is why President Trump issued the America First Trade Policy Memorandum and the AI..."
Testimony JEFFREY KESSLER
FY27 BIS Budget: the AI Arms Race and the ICTS Office
house Foreign Affairs Committee · Jul 14, 2026
"Absolutely. Thank you. You know, we at BIS, we have made significant progress on several of the areas that you mentioned. You know, when it comes to export controls, for example, on semiconductor manufacturing equipment, one of the most significant changes that we've made is to start applying the appropriate level of scrutiny to export licenses involving that technology, and export licenses involving exports to entity-listed"
Testimony MAST, BRIAN J.
FY27 BIS Budget: the AI Arms Race and the ICTS Office
house Foreign Affairs Committee · Jul 14, 2026
"Secretary of War Hegseth has stated publicly, Alibaba, Tencent, CXMT, YMTC, and more, they work directly for the Chinese military. So what does that mean for BIS policy when he identifies them as working directly for the Chinese military? How do you qualify them as military end users so that we don't sell them that"
Testimony MEEKS, GREGORY W.
FY27 BIS Budget: the AI Arms Race and the ICTS Office
house Foreign Affairs Committee · Jul 14, 2026
"And since the last time you testified in front of this committee, which was nearly a year ago, I think much has changed. And you're here to, I guess, to justify the President's budget request for BIS. That requires us to examine BIS's record over the past 18 months That requires us to examine BIS's record over the past 18 months and answer the many questions before this committee and provide the American people with a clear accounting of what BIS has accomplished and where it has fallen"
Testimony MEEKS, GREGORY W.
FY27 BIS Budget: the AI Arms Race and the ICTS Office
house Foreign Affairs Committee · Jul 14, 2026
"As a result, the office has not unveiled a single new rule during the second Trump administration. The policy perilous and negligence at BIS got so bad that Chairman Mass was compelled to organize a 24-bill export controlled markup in April. That raises an obvious"
Testimony MEEKS, GREGORY W.
FY27 BIS Budget: the AI Arms Race and the ICTS Office
house Foreign Affairs Committee · Jul 14, 2026
"I hope you will be able to answer that question today. But it's not just the policy that concerns me. Under Secretary Lutnick's watch, BIS has become less effective and less transparent, which have been unacceptable delays in license reviews, which are harming our economy and technology"
Testimony MEEKS, GREGORY W.
FY27 BIS Budget: the AI Arms Race and the ICTS Office
house Foreign Affairs Committee · Jul 14, 2026
"Engagement with industry is at an all-time low, making compliance and cooperation difficult. Just last month, BIS had to issue guidance reminding companies that it was still enforcing its own rules because many companies were no longer sure. Major policy actions are increasingly being implemented through private letters to individual companies rather than transparent rules that apply equally to"
Testimony MEEKS, GREGORY W.
FY27 BIS Budget: the AI Arms Race and the ICTS Office
house Foreign Affairs Committee · Jul 14, 2026
"The bottom line is simple. BIS is not meeting its missions as I can see it. Under Secretary Lutnick's leadership, BIS has dropped the ball on rulemaking and entity list designations while focusing entirely on enforcement. Under Secretary Lutnick's leadership, BIS has dropped the ball on rulemaking and entity list designations while focusing entirely on"
Testimony MEEKS, GREGORY W.
FY27 BIS Budget: the AI Arms Race and the ICTS Office
house Foreign Affairs Committee · Jul 14, 2026
"The President's budget request largely doubles down on that imbalance by emphasizing enforcement while doing little to address the underlying policy deficiencies. And so I've long been an advocate for more funding and resources for BIS. But before Congress provides a significant funding increase, this administration must demonstrate that BIS is effectively using the authorities and resources it already has. So I look forward to our discussion today and questions. how many licenses has BIS..."
Testimony MEEKS, GREGORY W.
FY27 BIS Budget: the AI Arms Race and the ICTS Office
house Foreign Affairs Committee · Jul 14, 2026
"So per the Export Administration's regulations, the EAR, the Department of Defense, Energy, and State have the authority to review any license applications submitted under the EAR, for every single H-200 license BIS has approved to date. So whatever that number is, they have the authority to review, license, and the applications that's been"
Testimony MEEKS, GREGORY W.
FY27 BIS Budget: the AI Arms Race and the ICTS Office
house Foreign Affairs Committee · Jul 14, 2026
"Last month, the Department of Defense published its latest Chinese military companies list. Interestingly, since December, BIS has approved licenses to sell H-200 chips to at least four companies that are on that list, including three that were just added last month by this very administration. Can you explain why BIS approved licenses for H-200 sales to companies that the Department of Defense deems to be Chinese military companies? Can you explain why BIS approved licenses for H-200 sales to..."
Testimony BIGGS, SHERI
FY27 BIS Budget: the AI Arms Race and the ICTS Office
house Foreign Affairs Committee · Jul 14, 2026
"Undersecretary Kessler, thank you for being here today, and thank you for your leadership at BIS in putting American national security and our American workers first. The connected vehicles rule is exactly the kind of bold action that President Trump promised the American people, using our full authority to keep the Chinese Communist Party out of our critical infrastructure and out of our"
Testimony BIGGS, SHERI
FY27 BIS Budget: the AI Arms Race and the ICTS Office
house Foreign Affairs Committee · Jul 14, 2026
"It should terrify every single American to think that Beijing could remotely access or even control cars on our roads. And I want to commend BIS's recent decision to deny the EV company Polestar, which is owned by Communist China's Geely authorization to sell 2027 model year vehicles in our country. I raise this because it matters directly to my home state of South"
Testimony BIGGS, SHERI
FY27 BIS Budget: the AI Arms Race and the ICTS Office
house Foreign Affairs Committee · Jul 14, 2026
"And Volvo has been owned by Geely since 2010. BIS approved Volvo to keep selling here while denying Polestar. I don't doubt there are good reasons for that distinction, but South Carolina auto workers, the suppliers, and dealers, they have naturally been asking what separates a yes from a no. And I think giving them the clarity would help BIS's"
Testimony BIGGS, SHERI
FY27 BIS Budget: the AI Arms Race and the ICTS Office
house Foreign Affairs Committee · Jul 14, 2026
"Thank you. So secondly, are there other China-linked automakers currently under BIS's review through the same process? Okay, my third"
Testimony BIGGS, SHERI
FY27 BIS Budget: the AI Arms Race and the ICTS Office
house Foreign Affairs Committee · Jul 14, 2026
"Okay, my third question. As South Carolina continues to grow as an automotive manufacturing powerhouse, how is BIS making sure this rule keeps the Chinese Communist Party out of our supply chains while ensuring that America wins the future of the auto industry? Okay. Thank you. Mr. Chairman, I yield"
Testimony JEFFREY KESSLER
FY27 BIS Budget: the AI Arms Race and the ICTS Office
house Foreign Affairs Committee · Jul 14, 2026
"I don't know offhand. All major decisions that BIS makes, we make in consultation with trade partners. Which decision are you asking"
Testimony JEFFREY KESSLER
FY27 BIS Budget: the AI Arms Race and the ICTS Office
house Foreign Affairs Committee · Jul 14, 2026
"Absolutely. Enforcement is really at the heart of the work that BIS does. Enforcement is the reason that the export control regime is effective. Enforcement is what creates the incentive for companies to comply, and it's what"
Testimony JEFFREY KESSLER
FY27 BIS Budget: the AI Arms Race and the ICTS Office
house Foreign Affairs Committee · Jul 14, 2026
"We have surged enforcement, thanks in part to the additional appropriations that Congress has provided for fiscal year 26. We've hired a huge number of people just this year already, around 70 people, and we plan to continue hiring throughout the year. But as I mentioned in my opening testimony, I think that BIS ought to be orders of magnitude bigger to effectively fulfill its enforcement mandate. We know that there is legal activity happening that we're not able to stop because the paucity of..."
Testimony JEFFREY KESSLER
FY27 BIS Budget: the AI Arms Race and the ICTS Office
house Foreign Affairs Committee · Jul 14, 2026
"You know, one thing that we expect of companies that are involved in developing frontier models is that they follow the procedure and the policy that's set out in the president's executive order on AI from June, and that's an important step both in ensuring the security of the models and in instilling confidence in the government that if there are vulnerabilities that we uncover them, we know about them, and we're prepared to deal with them. You know, the government has several bodies that work..."
Testimony JEFFREY KESSLER
FY27 BIS Budget: the AI Arms Race and the ICTS Office
house Foreign Affairs Committee · Jul 14, 2026
"some technical data is controlled so it falls under the export controls and that's one thing that we're doing and there are other authorities too, for example, the Department of Justice has to limit the export of sensitive personal data so there's a variety of legal tools both inside and outside BIS that we can technologies are evolving. All right, well thank you for the question. You know, I think that we showed the world that we do have the tools in the case of Anthropic, right? We had..."
Testimony BERA, AMI
FY27 BIS Budget: the AI Arms Race and the ICTS Office
house Foreign Affairs Committee · Jul 14, 2026
"think about, you know, let's use Mythos as an example. You know, I think Anthropic did the responsible thing as a company when they realized some of the powerful tools that were becoming available, coming to the government, working with folks to make sure there was responsible application of these tools. Within BIS and within Congress, one thing that we think about with the frontier labs that are out there, with how rapidly these technologies are emerging, do you have the tools or do we have..."
Testimony JEFFREY KESSLER
FY27 BIS Budget: the AI Arms Race and the ICTS Office
house Foreign Affairs Committee · Jul 14, 2026
"decisions and approvals come quickly. As you said, you know, it could be as little as two weeks, it could be a month or two and again that's the vast majority of cases that we handle. One of the changes that I've made and one of the changes that I committed to make when I was going through my confirmation process was to stop the rubber stamping of licenses that involve serious national security equities. As I mentioned before, under the prior administration there were thousands of licenses..."
Testimony HUIZENGA, BILL
FY27 BIS Budget: the AI Arms Race and the ICTS Office
house Foreign Affairs Committee · Jul 14, 2026
"I'm going to—I'm going to have to hit two other things. BIS is supposed to close loopholes, not create new ones. I know you and I had some debate back and forth about whether this is a loophole or not about the black wells in China. Why did BIS issue guidance in May 31st saying that Chinese companies can keep any black well chips that they had bought? Why did BIS issue guidance in May 31st saying that Chinese companies can keep any black well chips that they had"
Testimony JEFFREY KESSLER
FY27 BIS Budget: the AI Arms Race and the ICTS Office
house Foreign Affairs Committee · Jul 14, 2026
"that have—where we're concerned about possible espionage risks, infiltration, data exfiltration. The guidance that we issued on May 31st clarified and reaffirmed a pre-existing policy that had been in place since November 2023, and that is that companies that send advanced AI chips to countries in Country Group D or companies that are headquartered there but located outside Country Group D5, that they need to get a license from BIS. And if they hadn't, it would be a violation, and what the..."
Testimony HUIZENGA, BILL
FY27 BIS Budget: the AI Arms Race and the ICTS Office
house Foreign Affairs Committee · Jul 14, 2026
"I want to follow up with my limited time. What more needs to be done to bolster BIS's enforcement efforts and its ability to conduct in-use monitoring in"
Testimony HUIZENGA, BILL
FY27 BIS Budget: the AI Arms Race and the ICTS Office
house Foreign Affairs Committee · Jul 14, 2026
"Regarding Russia, it is known that Russia continues to rely on third country procurement networks to obtain control technologies. What additional authorities or international partners does BIS need to more effectively disrupt these networks? Okay. Last year when the administration signed AI deals with the UAE and Saudi"
Testimony JEFFREY KESSLER
FY27 BIS Budget: the AI Arms Race and the ICTS Office
house Foreign Affairs Committee · Jul 14, 2026
"the enforcement surge this year, that we requested additional enforcement resources for this fiscal year and a massive increase for the next one. I think it's about making sure that BIS can become an enforcement powerhouse. Well, when we make deals with other countries to facilitate the export of advanced AI chips, we want to make sure that we're doing that in a way that's consistent with national security, right? We welcome other countries, including Gulf countries, investment in American..."
Testimony KIM, YOUNG
FY27 BIS Budget: the AI Arms Race and the ICTS Office
house Foreign Affairs Committee · Jul 14, 2026
"And following that revelation, BIS put in place the foundry due diligence rule to make sure chip makers like TSMC do not accidentally make more AI chips for Huawei. But there are now questions about whether overseas Chinese subsidiary"
Testimony KIM, YOUNG
FY27 BIS Budget: the AI Arms Race and the ICTS Office
house Foreign Affairs Committee · Jul 14, 2026
"We want to make sure that you are actually enforcing the current rules in place. And then, of course, we don't want to make sure that we do not allow China to be able to go behind our backs. And I need to make sure that BIS is enforcing it as strongly as possible. Well, last"
Testimony KIM, YOUNG
FY27 BIS Budget: the AI Arms Race and the ICTS Office
house Foreign Affairs Committee · Jul 14, 2026
"continue to sell chip-making tools or provide service and repair services to more advanced chip factories in China that US companies are prohibited from selling to or working with. So can you provide any updates on BIS's progress on aligning our export controls on chip-making equipment? And have you set any specific"
Testimony JEFFREY KESSLER
FY27 BIS Budget: the AI Arms Race and the ICTS Office
house Foreign Affairs Committee · Jul 14, 2026
"And so there's more work to do. Absolutely. Well, we work very closely with industry on a day-to-day basis at all levels in BIS, whether that's answering their"
Testimony COSTA, JIM
FY27 BIS Budget: the AI Arms Race and the ICTS Office
house Foreign Affairs Committee · Jul 14, 2026
"And just for your, you may know this, but I am one of those members that really disagreed with the president on the handling of the issue of NVIDA and the selling of its powerful H200 chips to China. I think that that is in an area area where we, a direction we don't want to go. But let me focus on, with regards to BIS's budget, the efforts with Russia. You know, since they launched their illegal invasion in Ukraine in 2022, the United States and G7 countries began using various tools of..."
Testimony COSTA, JIM
FY27 BIS Budget: the AI Arms Race and the ICTS Office
house Foreign Affairs Committee · Jul 14, 2026
"We've got great leverage opportunities here. Why? Well, I agree. And you answered, I guess, while I was out in another hearing, my colleague's question about adding more experts within BIS in the area of enforcement and as it relates to Russia. Did I hear that"
Testimony JEFFREY KESSLER
FY27 BIS Budget: the AI Arms Race and the ICTS Office
house Foreign Affairs Committee · Jul 14, 2026
"And I think the most important step that we can take is to strengthen enforcement across the board. We would, we want to add experts within BIS across the board. Any time we hear reports like that, we look into"
Testimony JEFFREY KESSLER
FY27 BIS Budget: the AI Arms Race and the ICTS Office
house Foreign Affairs Committee · Jul 14, 2026
"And when we were able to resolve our concerns and ensure that they would continue to work with us and continue to help us understand the vulnerabilities in the models, then we lifted the controls. Well, the assessment of the risks is not housed in BIS in the first instance, I would say. I mentioned Casey before when we were talking about this"
Testimony KEAN, THOMAS H.
FY27 BIS Budget: the AI Arms Race and the ICTS Office
house Foreign Affairs Committee · Jul 14, 2026
"America needs to fund and to support robust export controls that place America at the front of the AI arms race. Undersecretary Kessler, whistleblowers have long been a cornerstone of America's intelligence gathering operations. However, the Bureau of Industry and Security, BIS, does not currently have a whistleblower reward program. Do you agree that a whistleblower program would strengthen intelligence gathering and enforcement efforts at BIS? Do you agree that a whistleblower program would..."
Testimony KEAN, THOMAS H.
FY27 BIS Budget: the AI Arms Race and the ICTS Office
house Foreign Affairs Committee · Jul 14, 2026
"Do you agree that a whistleblower program would strengthen intelligence gathering and enforcement efforts at BIS? The Stop Stealing Our Chips Act, which I co-led with Representative Johnson of Texas, creates a whistleblower incentive program at the BIS. This bill recently passed the House Foreign Affairs Committee with overwhelming bipartisan support and passed out of the Senate with unanimous consent. I look forward to seeing this bill considered on the House floor in the very near"
Testimony KEAN, THOMAS H.
FY27 BIS Budget: the AI Arms Race and the ICTS Office
house Foreign Affairs Committee · Jul 14, 2026
"Thank you. And then the third question is, the BIS's export control enforcement work is critical to winning the AI arms race with China. I'm glad to see this reflected in your robust funding request for the fiscal year 2027. Can you discuss how BIS would leverage the increased funding requested to prevent diversion of AI chips from their intended"
Testimony JEFFREY KESSLER
FY27 BIS Budget: the AI Arms Race and the ICTS Office
house Foreign Affairs Committee · Jul 14, 2026
"So again, I think it's just about increasing the resources dedicated to enforcement and encouraging the enforcement unit of BIS to do more of what they're doing. Well, sir, I disagree with much of what's in your"
Testimony AMO, GABE
FY27 BIS Budget: the AI Arms Race and the ICTS Office
house Foreign Affairs Committee · Jul 14, 2026
"The problems are still there, and frankly, you're just ignoring them. Not only are you making Americans less safe by letting the bad guys run rampant through the world's markets, you're actually making it harder for Americans to do business. Delays at BIS have doubled the average processing time for export licensing, causing American businesses to lose contracts, and undermining our leadership in technology worldwide. Right now, BIS has limited engagement with American businesses as they..."
Testimony MS. ABBY WARREN
Business meeting to consider the nominations of Christopher Phelan, of...
senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee · Jul 23, 2026
"department's national security and economic missions. The Bureau of Industry and Security plays a vital role in protecting the national security, economic security, and unmatched technological achievement and scientific innovation of the United States. Export controls are among the most important tools available to ensure that America's most sensitive technologies, products, and expertise do not contribute to the military modernization or strategic ambitions of our adversaries. At the same..."
Testimony MS. ABBY WARREN
Business meeting to consider the nominations of Christopher Phelan, of...
senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee · Jul 23, 2026
"intelligence applications. Meeting these challenges requires a regulatory system that is effective, adaptable, and grounded in close coordination with our allies and partners. If confirmed, I will faithfully execute the laws enacted by Congress, work to ensure that BIS's export controls are effective and enforceable, and collaborate closely with Congress, our international partners, and stakeholders across the government and industry to advance U.S. national security interests. I am proud of my..."
Testimony MS. ABBY WARREN
Business meeting to consider the nominations of Christopher Phelan, of...
senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee · Jul 23, 2026
"It says, you know, we need to put national security controls in place for, excuse me, export controls in place when there are significant national security concerns, while also recognizing before we do so what the economic impact of those controls are. So that's something I think we need to be monitoring really carefully. And BIS has staff that actually is constantly monitoring the new technology that is coming and seeing whether the controls are necessary. My understanding is that there are..."
Testimony KAMLAGER-DOVE, SYDNEY
H.R. 9098, the Congressional Records Protection Act; H. Res. 1394, Con...
house Judiciary Committee · Jul 15, 2026
"Kazakhstan between Trump and Trump's kids and the Commerce Secretary's kids? I mean, are they spending important time investigating this? I'm aware of no such involved. Yeah, I didn't think so, and yet they're chasing down medical records of private citizens and hospitals on this terror. I was also wondering if you'd heard whether or not the DOJ was investigating the potential pay-to-play scheme hatched possibly in BIS and Commerce Department between UAE, United Arab Emirates, and World Liberty..."
Testimony MOSKOWITZ, JARED
More Bang for the Buck: Aligning Commercial Diplomacy Between State an...
house Foreign Affairs Committee · Jul 14, 2026
"Well, thank you, my fellow Chair. Glad we could be doing this together. And as Chairman of the subcommittee that oversees both BIS and ITA, I have sort of a unique perspective and jurisdiction over both export controls and export promotion within the Department of Commerce. This morning, our full committee had a hearing with Undersecretary Kessler on export"
Testimony MOSKOWITZ, JARED
More Bang for the Buck: Aligning Commercial Diplomacy Between State an...
house Foreign Affairs Committee · Jul 14, 2026
"which has failed its people repeatedly for decades. And in a country like Cuba that has to ration sugar, it's ridiculous to think that their system of government or their system of economics is in any way, shape, or form successful. So, now I wanna get back to my actual questioning to you all. I have oversight of both BIS and ITA and the HVAC as we had discussed. I'm also a member of the Development Finance Corporation's Congressional Strategic Advisory Group and Vice Chair of the Financial..."
Testimony THE HONORABLE DAVID FOGEL
More Bang for the Buck: Aligning Commercial Diplomacy Between State an...
house Foreign Affairs Committee · Jul 14, 2026
"Well, let me just say, of course, that is part of it. That's handled by BIS. Yes, understand. So as you understand"
Hearing H.R. 9098, the Congressional Records Protection Act; H. Res. 1394, Condemning prosecution policies that give preferential treatment to foreign...
house Judiciary Committee · Jul 15, 2026 · Transcript
KAMLAGER-DOVE, SYDNEY "Kazakhstan between Trump and Trump's kids and the Commerce Secretary's kids? I mean, are they spending important time investigating this? I'm aware of no such involved. Yeah, I didn't think so, and yet they're chasing down medical records of private citizens and hospitals on this terror. I was also wondering if you'd heard whether or not the DOJ was investigating the potential pay-to-play scheme hatched possibly in BIS and Commerce Department between UAE, United Arab Emirates, and World Liberty Financial, which is also an entity"