The Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, led by Wisconsin Representative Mike Gallagher, has declared that the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) will now possess jurisdiction over all land acquisitions made by foreign adversaries near “sensitive” sites within the United States. This decision grants CFIUS the authority to regulate such purchases in order to protect national security interests.
The United States cannot allow foreign adversaries like the Chinese Communist Party and its proxies to acquire real estate near sensitive sites like military bases or telecom infrastructure, potentially exploiting our critical technology and endangering our servicemembers. This bill gives CFIUS jurisdiction over foreign adversary real estate transactions to guard against the threat of the CCP and other adversaries purchasing land for malign purposes, and it also encourages CFIUS to consider food security issues as it evaluates the national security risk of a given transaction. In the interest of national security, the legislation designates certain sites, such as those owned by the U.S. military, agricultural land and telecom networks, as protected areas, according to a press release.
“Protecting national security and food security go hand in hand in our region – which is why it is vital to know who owns land around national security sites,” said California Representative Mike Thompson, according to the press release. “The bipartisan legislation I am introducing with Chairman Gallagher will help identify foreign actors who are seeking to purchase land near military installations while maintaining food security throughout our country.”
Gallagher and Thompson jointly introduced the bill, titled the “Protecting U.S. Farmland and Sensitive Sites From Foreign Adversaries Act”, along with several representatives, including Reps. Dan Newhouse, Dusty Johnson, Ashley Hinson, Jim Banks, and many others. This bill would mark the first significant amendment to the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) in five years, according to a press release.
“The People’s Republic of China has an alarming history of leveraging foreign investment to gain access to sensitive information,” said Hawaii Rep. Ed Case, according to a press release. “This type of foreign espionage is a serious threat to national security. This bill will help close the gaps in our oversight of foreign purchases and their use of agricultural land, especially near our military bases and training sites. This will help ensure that the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States can fully assess investments that can compromise our security and intelligence sites.”
“The CCP isn’t buying up U.S. farmland at random – it is a deliberate effort to exert control over our food supply and have easier access to military sites,” said Iowa Hinson, according to the press release. “Our legislation will strengthen oversight of foreign land purchases and prevent the CCP from buying up American farmland to protect our food supply and national security.”
The bill includes various provisions, such as expanding the definition of sites deemed sensitive to national security concerns. It also mandates that foreign entities file for CFIUS approval when purchasing land near these sensitive sites. Additionally, the bill proposes granting the Secretary of Agriculture a vote in CFIUS reviews involving transactions related to farmland, among other measures aimed at enhancing oversight and protection, according to the press release.
