Staff Reports
The Biden administration is once more being criticized, this time regarding its lack of oversight regarding foreign ownership of agricultural land in the United States. A member of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is the second-largest foreign landowner, according to a recent investigation. The inquiry, carried out by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) of the United States, revealed that in violation of the 1978 Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act (AFIDA), the Department of Agriculture (USDA) has not consistently provided timely information regarding foreign investments in agriculture.
‘National Security Risk’: Investigation Reveals Biden Admin Failed to Track Foreign Ownership of U.S. Farmlandhttps://t.co/ox37piWEXr
— Wendy Patterson (@wendyp4545) January 21, 2024
The USDA's noncompliance with AFIDA has generated "potential national security risks," according to the GAO report. The inaccurate information that the agency is unable to provide to Congress and the public regarding the extent of foreign ownership of agricultural land in the United States is a result of its flawed data monitoring procedure.
The report highlights the ramifications of foreign ownership, such as the potential for land under foreign control to be located in close proximity to strategically important military installations. This revelation follows the disclosure in 2015 that Chinese billionaire Chen Tianqiao, a member of the CCP, acquired nearly 200,000 acres of farmland in Oregon in secret, thereby becoming the second-largest foreign proprietor of agricultural land in the United States. Significantly, this acquisition remained undetected throughout the administrations of both Obama and Trump.
Presently, members of Congress representing both parties advocate for heightened government oversight and security measures to protect American agricultural land from foreign threats. Representative Elise Stefanik (R-NY), highlighting the dangers posed by Communist China's acquisition of U.S. agricultural land, accused the Biden administration of ignoring this matter. Senator Jon Tester (D-Montgomery) urged a resolute response from Congress in order to safeguard agricultural security in the United States and avert foreign threats that could seize authority over the country's food supply.
Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA), in light of the GAO report, expressed apprehensions regarding food security and made a commitment to propose measures aimed at improving the USDA's internal reporting and data administration. He emphasized the critical nature of identifying the foreign-affiliated entities that are reportedly investing in the forty million acres of U.S. agriculture. It is indisputable that immediate action is required to tackle this matter and protect the agricultural sector and national security of the United States.
