Yakima Times

Today, Rep. Dan Newhouse (WA-04) released a statement following the House of Representatives' passage of his bill, the Protecting American Agriculture from Foreign Adversaries Act.

“Today, the United States took a stand against one of our greatest foreign adversaries, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP),” said Rep. Newhouse.

Newhouse continued, “The CCP has been quietly purchasing American agricultural land at an alarming rate, and this bill is a crucial step towards reversing that trend. We know that USDA’s foreign purchase tracking is wildly flawed, and by adding the Secretary of Agriculture to CFIUS, we can begin to correct course. Food security is national security, and it is incumbent upon us to keep our adversaries far away from the lands that feed our country and the world.”

House Speaker Mike Johnson expressed support for the legislation: “I’m thankful for Rep. Newhouse’s leadership in protecting our agriculture from China and its proxies,” said Johnson. “Agriculture is the backbone of America, and we should take every possible measure necessary to protect it.”

The bill incorporates the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture into CFIUS for transactions involving land, biotechnology, transportation, storage, and processing. It also mandates that the Secretary report any transaction deemed a threat to national security.

Rep. Newhouse serves on the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, which seeks bipartisan solutions to counter threats posed by the CCP and develop strategies to protect American interests.

The Senate companion bill, S. 5007, was introduced by Sen. Mike Braun (R-IN) on September 10, 2024. Co-sponsors include Sens. Tom Cotton (R-AR), Roger Marshall (R-KS), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), John Barrasso (R-WY), Jon Tester (D-MT), John Fetterman (D-PA), Joe Manchin (I-WV), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Katie Britt (R-AL), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Todd Young (R-IN), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), and Joni Ernst (R-IA).