OKLAHOMA CITY — A Texas congressman whose district borders Oklahoma filed one measure and co-sponsors another this year to prevent foreign ownership of agricultural land in the United States.
U.S. Rep. Ronny Jackson, R-Amarillo, introduced HR 513, the FARM (Foreign Adversary Risk Management) Act.
That measure states that agriculture and supply chains “are critical to United States’ economic success and prosperity, and should each be classified as critical infrastructure and critical technologies.”
Agriculture is “the lifeblood that helps to feed United States families…” Therefore, food security is “a matter of national security and should be a top priority” of the federal government.
To prevent harm to the public health sector and to prevent disruption to the economy and food supply chains, “the increasing influence foreign countries may have on the United States agriculture industry and agriculture supply chains should be mitigated,” the measure says.
Not later than one year after enactment of HR 513 and each year afterward, the secretary of agriculture and the comptroller general of the United States would be required to conduct an analysis of foreign influence in the U.S. agriculture industry and submit to Congress a report that includes a summary of:
• Foreign investments in the U.S. agriculture industry.
• The potential for foreign investment to undermine American agriculture production and agricultural supply chains.
• The largest international threats for increased foreign control of, and investment in, the U.S. agriculture sector.
• Agriculture-related espionage and theft techniques used by foreign governments, including any attempts to target U.S. agricultural intellectual property, innovation, research and development, cost or pricing data, or internal strategy documents.
The FARM Act was referred to the House Committee on Financial Services and the Committee on Agriculture. Among its co-sponsors is U.S. Rep. Kevin Hern, R-Tulsa.
Jackson and Hern are co-sponsors of HR 809, the “Prohibition of Agricultural Land for the People’s Republic of China Act,” which would decree that the president “shall take such actions as may be necessary to prohibit the purchase of public or private agricultural (including ranching) real estate located in the United States by non-resident aliens, foreign businesses, or any agent, trustee, or fiduciary associated with the Government of the People’s Republic of China.”
In addition, the president “shall take such actions as may be necessary to prohibit participation in programs administered by the Secretary of Agriculture by non-resident aliens, foreign businesses, or any agent, trustee, or fiduciary associated with the Government of the People’s Republic of China,” except for food inspection or other food and safety regulatory requirements.
HR 809 was referred to the House Committee on Agriculture, whose members include U.S. Rep. Frank Lucas, R-Cheyenne, and the Committee on Foreign Affairs.