With the midterm elections approaching and Democrats potentially positioned to regain control of the U.S. House, New York Rep. Gregory Meeks could be in line to chair the House Foreign Affairs Committee, a position with significant influence over U.S. foreign policy, relations with key allies, and the country’s approach to emerging technologies.
Meeks’ seniority, including nearly three decades in Congress, could give him substantial influence over congressional policy involving China, export controls and the technology sector, including artificial intelligence, semiconductors and robotics.
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The House Foreign Affairs Committee has traditionally played a strategic role in identifying longer-term opportunities and threats abroad and helping establish the policy framework through which the United States responds to them. The author argues that Congress should focus on that broader strategic responsibility rather than attempting to dictate technical implementation that is better handled by specialized agencies such as the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) and the Commerce Department.
One area where that debate has become particularly visible is export-control policy involving advanced semiconductors and U.S.-China relations. Congress has spent considerable time debating legislation in an effort to balance national security concerns with the need to maintain a workable relationship with China. A House export-control bill is among the measures that have emerged from that debate.
The author points to an additional concern involving open-source technology. RISC-V, an open-source chip architecture originally developed at the University of California, Berkeley, allows hardware designers to develop semiconductors without paying licensing fees. The piece argues that the existing export-control framework does not provide a sufficiently coherent approach to open-source technology, including chip architecture, artificial intelligence model weights and software toolchains.
The author also cites the MATCH Act, which would identify specific Chinese semiconductor companies and categories of manufacturing equipment in legislation, as an example of what is described as an overly detailed congressional approach. The GAIN AI Act is similarly cited as an example of legislation that would establish specific certification requirements for individual categories of chips.
Recent legislation considered by the House Foreign Affairs Committee has also focused heavily on China. A package of export-control measures was put forward by the committee, where Meeks currently serves as the most senior Democrat. The author argues, however, that Congress has yet to fully address the broader implications of open-source technology.
The article points to China’s investment in RISC-V as evidence of the strategic significance of the issue. According to a 2024 Reuters analysis, Chinese state institutions spent at least $50 million on RISC-V-related projects between 2018 and 2023, while companies including Huawei have also supported the technology.
The author argues that the absence of explicit U.S. guidelines governing certain aspects of open-source technology creates uncertainty for national security and could put U.S. companies at a disadvantage in the broader competition for technological leadership. A 2024 report also examined concerns surrounding U.S. policy toward China’s use of RISC-V.
Against that backdrop, the author proposes that the Foreign Affairs Committee take a broader look at the existing export-control system and examine where gaps may exist. The piece argues that Meeks, if he assumes the chairmanship, would be positioned to convene such a review and consider how open-source technologies should be addressed within the broader national-security framework.
Meeks has previously identified China as a major foreign-policy priority. During an earlier tenure as chairman of the committee, he discussed the importance of continued U.S. engagement in the region and warned that reduced American involvement could create opportunities for Beijing to expand its influence. He addressed America’s China policy during an Asia Society event.
In December 2025, Meeks introduced the RESTRICT Act, legislation that would prohibit the sale of certain advanced artificial-intelligence chips, including Nvidia’s H200, to China. The bill followed the Trump administration’s announcement that it had approved such a sale.
When announcing the legislation, Meeks argued that permitting the sale could undermine U.S. technological leadership and create national-security concerns by providing advanced capabilities to China. His comments were included in the announcement of the bill.
Meeks has also worked with Republicans on semiconductor-related policy. Two months after introducing the RESTRICT Act, he co-authored a letter with Republican Rep. Brian Mast addressed to the Departments of State and Commerce, urging greater coordination on export controls involving semiconductor manufacturing equipment.
The author argues that bipartisan cooperation and a longer-term approach to technology and national security could be important to developing broader policies governing open-source technologies.
The proposed approach would involve a review of open-source technology governance, updated guidance for the Bureau of Industry and Security, and coordination with lawmakers from both parties and U.S. allies. The author presents these steps as consistent with Meeks’ previous work on foreign policy and technology-related issues.
Meeks has not yet undertaken such a review, but his potential return to the chairmanship of the House Foreign Affairs Committee could place these issues prominently on the congressional agenda.
The debate over how the United States regulates emerging technologies, manages its relationship with China, and protects its technological advantages is likely to remain a significant foreign-policy and economic issue as Congress considers its next steps.
Dr. Mack is a former executive director of the National Society of Black Engineers.
