Thune: Foreign Ownership of Farmland is a Matter of National Security

Press Release

"Thank you Chairwoman Stabenow and Ranking Member Boozman for holding today's hearing on foreign ownership of U.S. agriculture.

I also want to thank our witnesses for appearing before the committee and for your input on this important issue.

Food security is a critical component of national security, and we need to make sure foreign countries do not hold an undue influence over our food supply.

I'm pleased that this year's Senate National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) includes Senator Rounds' amendment to prohibit China, Iran, Russia, and North Korea from purchasing U.S. agricultural land and businesses, and I will continue to advocate for this provision's inclusion in the final NDAA.

We also need to take a close look at the U.S. Department of Agriculture's role in overseeing foreign ownership of U.S. agriculture, particularly as we keep working on the next farm bill.

We must safeguard U.S. farmland and food security as a critical component of national security, and I look forward to working with members of this committee on this issue in the next farm bill."

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