U.S. Reps. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) and John Moolenaar (R-MI) introduced a bill on June 11 that would prohibit any agent of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) or any business owned by the CCP from purchasing land adjacent to federal land in the United States.
The No American Land for the Chinese Communist Party Act, H.R. 8693, would protect American military installations, national labs, and land with critical resources from being purchased by a foreign adversary. It is under consideration in the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
Rep. Newhouse said he has closely watched the rising number of cases of CCP attempts to undermine American institutions. “From spying on sensitive national security sites to buying up American farmland, it is clear we are vulnerable to their malicious efforts. This bill strengthens our domestic defenses and protects critical federal lands against these foreign actors that aim to deepen their already dangerous influence on the world stage,” he said.
Rep. Moolenaar, chairman of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party and a cosponsor of the bill, said, “We need to protect our farmland and ensure our largest adversary cannot own land near sensitive U.S. military bases. Thank you to Congressman Newhouse for his leadership on this issue and the work he has done to introduce this legislation.”
Other cosponsors of the bill include U.S. Reps. Kelly Armstrong (R-ND), Carol Miller (R-WV), David Valadao (R-CA), Adrian Smith (R-NE), Mike Kelley (R-PA), Darin LaHood (R-IL), and Troy Balderson (R-OH).