Yakima Times

For too long, the federal government has been blind to the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) purchases of American farmland. According to findings by the USDA’s Economic Research Service, CCP investment in U.S. agricultural land has grown tenfold in the last decade, signaling a dangerous trend that shows no signs of slowing. This threat demands immediate action to prevent foreign adversaries from infiltrating our institutions.

This week, the House of Representatives will vote on my bill, the Protecting American Agriculture from Foreign Adversaries Act. This bill adds the Secretary of Agriculture to the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) and takes the necessary steps to prohibit the purchase of U.S. agricultural land by foreign adversaries like the CCP. CFIUS is an inter-governmental agency responsible for tracking foreign investment in the U.S. economy and reviews any national security implications. The goal is to catch bad actors as they attempt to make purchases that pose risks to our institutions and national security.

Earlier this year, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) published a report revealing the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) system for tracking foreign ownership of our agricultural land is wildly flawed and poses a national security risk. Estimates indicate that over 1.7 million acres of Washington state farmland are owned by foreign entities—but the real number could be far higher. The report highlighted numerous inaccuracies, emphasizing the need for accurate data and better inter-agency collaboration to fully understand the complexity of the issue.

By adding the Secretary of Agriculture to CFIUS, the USDA will be aware of every land, biotechnology, transportation, storage, and processing transaction made by a foreign entity. This partnership will help lift the veil on these purchases and get a grasp on who is purchasing our farmland. As a member of the House Select Committee on the CCP, this is an issue we have discussed at length. The CCP’s campaign of malign influence will continue if the federal government does not take a decisive stand, and curbing their ability to purchase our agricultural land is a crucial step in derailing their plans.

The reality of this issue is a simple one—the CCP wants a foothold in our system, and it is incumbent upon our leaders to make sure they don’t get it. Ensuring our government agencies have the necessary resources to stop bad actors from planting roots in our homeland is the first step. We have a lot of work to do on this issue, and I am proud to be leading this effort in Congress.