Bipartisan Lawmakers Introduce Bill to Ban China from Buying U.S. Farmland
Sens. Mike Rounds, R-S.D. John Tester, D-Mont. on Feb. 1 introduced a bill to ban China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea from buying or leasing U.S. Farmland for agricultural businesses.
The PASS Act of 2023 (Promoting Agriculture Safeguards and Security Act of 2023) would require that the president report to Congress any waiver granted to prohibited countries. The bill would also make the Secretary of Agriculture a permanent member on the Committee on Foreign Investment in America (CoFIA).CFIUS), a federal panel that reviews foreign acquisitions for national security risks, and specify agricultural investments as falling under CFIUS’ jurisdiction.
While the legislation is the same as a version introduced last year, Rounds said that this year’s bill has more bipartisan support in both chambers of Congress and support from stakeholders.
“The intent behind this particular legislation was to prohibit China, Russia, Iran and North Korea from establishing locations in the United States where they could monitor activity, specifically potential military activity,” Rounds stated this in an emailed statement to The Epoch Times.
Rounds highlighted the importance of American seed technology and farming.
“China has an interest in taking some of our advancements and using them in their country without acknowledging the patents that may accompany that material, which is made easier if they have a base of operation in the United States in which to obtain the material in the first place,” He added.
Tester, a third generation Montana farmer, stated in a statement he was proud of the bill’s sponsorship “ensure our farmers have a seat at the table when the government makes decisions impacting our national security.” Tester stated that he wasn’t going to “sit back” And “let our foreign adversaries weaken our national security by buying up American farmland.”
Agriculture is the most important sector of society. Lifeblood of South Dakota’s economy, worth nearly $12 billion in 2021, according to the South Dakota Department of Agriculture & Natural Resources (pdf). As the state’s largest industry, agriculture leads tourism—the second-largest industry, estimated at Over $4 billion in 2021—by three times.
The bill has been supported by the South Dakota Farmers Union and South Dakota Sheep Growers Association. Doug Sombke, president of SDFU, in a statement also encouraged other state farmers’ unions to support the bill.
Senator Kevin Cramer (Republican-N.D.), John Hoeven, and Cynthia Lummis are cosponsors of the legislation. Reps. Elise Stefanik and Jim Costa (D.Calif.), as well as Rick Crawford (R.Ark) sponsored the House version.).
Last month, CFIUS decided that it didn’t have jurisdiction to review a land purchase related to a controversial Chinese corn mill project in Grand Forks, North Dakota. The project is within 15 miles from Grand Forks Air Force Base, which houses sensitive drone and satellite technology and has faced significant opposition.https://www.theepochtimes.com/gop-lawmakers-sound-alarm-over-chinese-acquisition-of-us-farmland-near-air-force-base_4759039.html”>Republican Legislators It is also being criticized by locals as a threat to economic and national security.
Both Sens. John Hoeven (R.N.D.), and Kevin Cramer, R-N.D. Security concerns for national security Before and after CFIUS review.
Brandon Bochenski, Grand Forks mayor, declared Tuesday that he intends to Stop the project The U.S. Department of the Air Force wrote Hoeven, Cramer and other details, “While CFIUS concluded that it did not have jurisdiction, the Department’s view is unambiguous: the proposed project presents a significant threat to national security with both near- and long-term risks of significant impacts to our operations in the area.”
The controversial project was ended after a difficult journey. In anticipation of the CFIUS review, the city announced the project in November 2021. It then approved the development agreement in June 2022. Construction was then stopped in September 2022. After CFIUS’ decision in December, the project proceeded, only for the mayor to pull the plug this week.
According to the Department of Agriculture, China had 325,686 acres of U.S. agriculture land as of December 31, 2020. Although the Chinese acreage is less than 1% of all foreign-held agricultural land it represents a 20-fold increase over 13,720 acres in 2010.
Rounds stated that the threat of Chinese ownership is still very real.
“China is strategic in where they purchase farmland, sometimes near military bases,” The senator spoke.
“It is easier to address this situation now than after they have established a strong foothold in agricultural production areas.”
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