Anthropic Gave $40 Million as Lawmakers Pressed Nvidia on Chip Exports

Anthropic donated $40 million to a U.S. AI policy group in 2026, while lawmakers pressed Nvidia over China chip sales and called for tighter export limits, placing political spending alongside a fight over AI rules.

Anthropic contributed $20 million to Public First Action in February and another $20 million in July. The contributions supported stricter AI safety rules and chip export controls.

On July 17, Public First Action announced a separate $15 million campaign to promote Republican lawmakers who support stricter AI regulation and gauge conservative voters’ views. Reps. Brian Mast and John Moolenaar were among the lawmakers slated for advertising.

Mast and Moolenaar, together with House Intelligence Committee Chairman Rick Crawford, sought a closed-door interview with Jensen Huang in a Nov. 4 letter. On Thursday, Nov. 12, the three lawmakers wrote again to Nvidia and the Commerce Department, seeking information and urging Congress to pass stricter chip export limits.

Huang resigned on Nov. 12. He had opposed tighter restrictions on U.S. chip sales to China and repeatedly lobbied the government to ease them.