Rep. Ashley Hinson, U.S. Representative for Iowa's 2nd District | Official U.S. House headshot
Rep. Ashley Hinson, U.S. Representative for Iowa's 2nd District | Official U.S. House headshot
Congresswoman Ashley Hinson (IA-02) addressed the House Floor today, advocating for the bipartisan Protecting American Agriculture from Foreign Adversaries Act. The legislation was introduced by Hinson and Congressman Dan Newhouse (WA-04).
"M. Speaker, I rise in support of the Protecting American Agriculture from Foreign Adversaries Act. I’d like to thank Representative Newhouse for his continued leadership on this issue, and I’m proud to have helped introduce this important bipartisan legislation to protect our food supply from foreign adversaries like Communist China," Hinson stated.
Hinson highlighted concerns about China's increasing acquisition of American farmland. "China continues to buy up American farmland at an alarming rate. They’re aiming to gain control over our food and fuel supply chains, stealing American intellectual property, and strategically purchasing land next to sensitive sites," she said.
She emphasized that while China restricts its citizens from owning land, it has managed to purchase nearly 350,000 acres of U.S. agricultural land. "Our adversaries will stop at nothing to disrupt critical industries like agriculture, and this bill will help us block transactions that are a threat to our national security," Hinson added.
The proposed legislation aims to ensure that the Secretary of Agriculture is involved in the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), providing proper oversight for foreign transactions involving agricultural assets. "By ensuring that the Secretary of Agriculture has a seat at the table at CFIUS, foreign transactions involving agricultural assets will receive proper oversight so we can prevent our adversaries from undermining our food supply and security," she explained.
In her closing remarks, Hinson underscored the importance of protecting Iowa's farmland: "In Iowa, our land is sacred. Iowa farmers feed and fuel the world. We cannot allow the CCP to continue buying up our most valuable resource."
"I urge my colleagues to support this bill," she concluded.
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