[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 26 (Thursday, February 5, 2026)]
[Senate]
[Pages S504-S505]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
Advanced AI Chips
Ms. WARREN. Mr. President, I urge the Senate to take up and pass S.
Res. 598.
Last May, President Trump announced a deal to green-light several
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billion dollars' worth of advanced AI chips to the United Arab
Emirates. The deal alarmed national security officials.
Why in the world was Donald Trump rolling back critical national
security safeguards in order to hand over sophisticated U.S. technology
to a country with a long history of helping China acquire sensitive
chips that it needs for its military? Why in the world was Donald Trump
trying to ship off our state-of-the-art chips to the UAE--and China--
when American startups, American universities, and American small
businesses needed them here at home?
Well, now we know. Now we know that the UAE greased the skids months
earlier when it secretly agreed to pour hundreds of millions of dollars
into a Trump family crypto venture just 4 days before President Trump's
inauguration. Now we know that a powerful Abu Dhabi royal known as Spy
Sheikh signed a secret deal to pay half a billion dollars to take
almost a majority stake in the Trump family's crypto company, World
Liberty Financial.
And just a few months later, the Trump administration and Secretary
Howard Lutnick authorized the sale of advanced AI chips to the UAE.
This was a victory for Abu Dhabi and the Spy Sheikh, who had been
unsuccessfully trying for years to get their hands on those chips.
Inside our own government, national security officials tried hard to
stop this deal. They warned that handing advanced AI chips to the UAE
would have serious national security consequences. Look, some of these
chips would go to G42, a UAE AI company that American national security
officials have said could be a conduit for funneling technology to
China. The CIA has reportedly warned about G42's working closely with
blacklisted firms like Huawei that are tied to the Chinese military.
Now, President Trump is denying that he knew anything about the
secret deal. Oh, please. President Trump's own son signed the deal for
half a billion dollars. An initial payment of $187 million was
reportedly directed to flow to Trump family companies. Another initial
payment of $31 million was reportedly directed to flow into entities
connected to the family of Steve Witkoff, Trump's golf buddy who had
been named U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East.
Here we are, 1 year into Donald Trump's second term, and Trump has
amassed more than $1.5 billion from his crypto ventures like World
Liberty Financial. Trump is profiting off the Presidency while American
families are worried about their jobs, the rising cost of groceries,
and how they will pay their bills. Trump is profiting from decisions
that make it easier for countries like China to get their hands on some
of our most sensitive and advanced technologies.
Congress needs to grow a spine. We cannot allow American national
security simply to be sold to the highest bidder. The Senate must pass
this resolution to condemn this corruption and call on Donald Trump to
reverse his decision to allow the export of advanced AI chips to the
UAE.
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Florida.