Moolenaar Introduces Bill to Stop China From Acquiring U.S. Farmland
Today, Select Committee on China Chairman John Moolenaar introduced the Protecting U.S. Farmland and Sensitive Sites from Foreign Adversaries Act. This legislation takes decisive action to safeguard U.S. national security and food security by closing gaps in federal oversight of foreign land acquisitions. For too long, foreign adversaries like China have been able to purchase American farmland and real estate near sensitive national security sites with limited scrutiny, and in many cases none at all. These purchases pose risks to critical infrastructure, military readiness, and the resilience of the U.S. food supply.
“Food security is national security, and we cannot allow foreign adversaries like China to buy up American farmland near our most sensitive military and critical infrastructure sites. This bipartisan legislation closes dangerous loopholes, presumptively bars foreign adversaries from purchasing land, and ensures the United States has the tools to stop these farmland deals before they threaten our security. It also implements the Trump Administration’s America First Investment Policy and USDA’s Farm Security Action Plan by giving the administration the authority needed to protect United States farmland and real estate near sensitive facilities. This a top concern of the American people and I hope Congress will act quickly to pass it into law,” said Moolenaar.
“Point blank: foreign adversaries have no business owning land in the United States, especially near our military installations. And while half of states have taken action across the country to ban foreign adversaries from owning American land, a federal fix is necessary to solve this problem nationwide. Thankfully, Chairman Moolenaar and the Select Committee have stepped up to the plate to offer a national solution to protect our homeland from those who seek to destroy our way of life,” said State Armor Founder and CEO Michael Lucci.
"Foreign adversaries, led by China, have exploited gaps in federal law to acquire American land near our military bases, critical infrastructure, and food supply. We must treat food security as national security, and the federal government needs the jurisdiction and the tools to stop these transactions before they happen, not to negotiate mitigation agreements after the fact. States have led on this issue for years, and federal law should reinforce their efforts. Legislation is needed to close these loopholes and protect critical American infrastructure and American communities, and the provisions of this bill do just that,” said Adam Savit, Director for China Policy at AFPI, former Senior Advisor for National Security at the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
“The Chinese Communist Party's brazen efforts to collect intelligence on American soil demonstrate its intention to exploit any and all gaps it can find in our national security architecture. From deploying drones over military installations to acquiring farmland near our most sensitive sites, Beijing has displayed a pattern of increasingly emboldened behavior that must be confronted. The Protecting U.S. Farmland and Sensitive Sites from Foreign Adversaries Act closes critical gaps in CFIUS's jurisdiction and review process, ensuring foreign adversaries seeking to purchase American farmland face the scrutiny they deserve. FDD Action proudly endorses this legislation and urges Congress to act in defense of our nation’s most precious security assets,” said Alexandria Paolozzi Moore, Senior Director of Government Relations at FDD Action.
The bill has bipartisan support from Representatives Ashley Hinson (R-IA), Dr. Neal Dunn (R-FL), Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), Dusty Johnson (R-SD), Zach Nunn (R-IA), Nathaniel Moran (R-TX), Daniel Newhouse (R-WA), Pat Harrigan (R-NC), Randy Feenstra (R-IA), Julia Brownley (D-CA), Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), Jimmy Panetta (D-CA), and Mike Thompson (D-CA).
An exclusive article about this legislation featured in The Daily Wire was published this morning and can be read here.
This bill ensures that the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) has the jurisdiction necessary to address real estate transactions involving foreign adversaries, including China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea. It also deems the purchase by any foreign adversary of U.S. farmland and critical infrastructure as presenting an unacceptable risk to national, with limited exceptions. The legislation also establishes a new category of “elevated risk real estate transactions,” ensuring mandatory review of purchases involving farmland, ports, telecommunications infrastructure, and locations in proximity to military installations and intelligence facilities. Finally, the bill formally incorporates food security and agricultural biotechnology risks into CFIUS reviews and ensures the Secretary of Agriculture is included as a key voice in evaluating such transactions.
Read the bill text here.