Newhouse pushes bills to protect land from the Chinese Communist Party
Feb 26, 2025, 5:02 AM
U.S. Representative Dan Newhouse (R-WA). (Phoot: Chip Somodevilla via Getty Images via KIRO 7)
(Phoot: Chip Somodevilla via Getty Images via KIRO 7)
U.S. Representative Dan Newhouse (R-WA) has reintroduced legislation to prevent the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) from buying American farmland, announced Newhouse via a news release. With Republicans in control of Congress, both bills stand a chance at advancing.
The Protecting American Agriculture from Foreign Adversaries Act of 2025 looks to empower the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the No American Land for Communist China Act is aimed at buffing up national security.
“The Chinese Communist Party is our most formidable adversary, and we must act immediately to defend our food and national security interests,” Newhouse said, via the release. “Farmers, ranchers, and landowners across the country deserve the certainty offered by adding the Secretary of Agriculture to CFIUS to ensure they are not selling land to an entity controlled by the CCP. We must prevent the CCP from purchasing land near federal property, including military installations and national laboratories, to protect our domestic security interests.”
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Breakdown of bills reintroduced by Newhouse
The No American Land for Communist China Act looks at the threat posed by the Chinese Communist Party on U.S. national security sites, according to Newhouse. The bill prohibits the purchase of land adjacent to federally owned land.
“Putting America First means preventing the Chinese Communist Party from buying up western land and putting our military bases, critical energy, and mineral production at risk,” Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), who introduced companion legislation in the Senate said via the release. “The people of Wyoming know that allowing the CCP to buy up our land compromises both our national and economic security.”
Meanwhile, the Protecting American Agriculture from Foreign Adversaries Act of 2025 adds the Secretary of Agriculture to the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. and would warrant the USDA to review land purchases by foreign entities, as stated by Newhouse.
“Food security is national security, and it’s high time that we start recognizing this before it is too late,” Senator Roger Marshall (R-KS), who introduced companion legislation in the Senate, said via the news release. “The Secretary of Agriculture needs a seat at the table when the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States is considering foreign agricultural investments.”
The bill passed the House of Representatives with bipartisan support.
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