By Katabella Roberts
Senate Republicans have introduced a bill aimed at protecting sensitive military sites across the United States from foreign adversaries such as China, Senate Banking Committee Chairman Tim Scott (R-S.C.) said on June 18.
Dubbed the “Protect Our Bases Act,” the measure would strengthen the ability of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS)—an interagency panel that reviews the national security implications of foreign investments in the U.S. economy—to review foreign land purchases.
The act would require CFIUS member agencies to annually update their records on military, intelligence and national laboratory facilities that should be designated as sensitive sites for national security purposes.
Agencies would also be required to submit annual reports to Congress certifying that the reviews have been completed, along with any recommended updates or revisions to the facilities list.
“The Chinese Communist Party’s efforts to infiltrate and surveil all parts of the U.S national security apparatus requires vigilance from our national security agencies,” Scott said in a statement. “This legislation will enhance the review of foreign real estate transactions near critical national security installations, helping ensure CFIUS has the information it needs to protect our homeland and keep our nation safe.”
Scott’s statement pointed to a Chinese company, the Fufeng Group, which is the second-largest producer of xanthan gum in mainland China. The statement said that the company has ties to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
In 2022, the Fufeng Group announced it would purchase land near Grand Forks Air Force Base in North Dakota, despite concerns among Republican lawmakers and locals that the project posed significant national security risks.
According to Scott’s statement, CFIUS was unable to evaluate the proposed purchase for any potential national security risks at the time because the Department of Defense had not listed the base as a sensitive site for national security purposes.
The City of Grand Forks ultimately blocked the proposed transaction but Scott’s office said the incident highlighted a significant flaw in the review process of foreign land purchases.
“CFIUS relies on its member agencies to provide updated information on sensitive military, intelligence, and national laboratory sites in order to properly assess the security risk of foreign investment in our country,” according to the statement. “If CFIUS member agencies do not appropriately update their site lists, CFIUS cannot ensure an accurate review.”
The proposed legislation is being co-sponsored by Sens. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), John Kennedy (R-La.), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), Jim Banks (R-Ind.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Dave McCormick (R-Pa.), and Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio).
Crapo said Idaho is home to multiple military installations as well as the acclaimed Idaho National Laboratory, which he said conducts “vital research, development and training of critical national security efforts right here in our back yard, and increasing accountability about land sales around these sites is of utmost importance.”
“We must protect sensitive military and government sites from foreign adversaries pursuing intelligence activities on our own land,” Crapo said.
In 2023, 277,336 acres of U.S. agricultural land were linked to Chinese investors, representing 0.02 percent of all privately held U.S. agricultural land, and marking a 106,599-acre (27 percent) decline from the 2021 peak of 383,935 acres, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation.
Reported foreign-held agricultural land in the United States has grown by 21 million acres since 2010, marking an 85 percent increase, and averaging an annual gain of 1.62 million acres, according to the federation.
