Johnson, Stefanik PASS Act Prevents China from Purchasing U.S. Agriculture Businesses
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Representatives Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) and Elise Stefanik (R-NY) introduced the Promoting Agriculture Safeguards and Security (PASS) Act. The PASS Act blacklists countries like China and Russia from purchasing U.S. agriculture companies and ensures the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is fully involved in reviewing any foreign acquisition of American companies that may affect our agriculture sector.
“China’s efforts to influence American agriculture threatens U.S. security – this bill is commonsense,” said Johnson. “We have experienced numerous black swan events in the past few years, and we can’t risk allowing our adversaries closer access to our food and supply chains.”
Recent reports of China acquiring U.S. farmland and agriculture companies is a cause for concern on the foreign influence in American agriculture. Additionally, a Chinese-owned company recently purchased farmland near the Grand Forks, North Dakota Air Force Base – home to U.S. military drone technology. Members of Congress have raised national security concerns regarding the convenience for monitoring air traffic flows in and out of the base.
The Promoting Agriculture Safeguards and Security (PASS) Act:
- Blacklists China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea from purchasing U.S. agriculture companies,
- Includes agriculture and biotechnology related to agriculture as critical infrastructure,
- Adds the Secretary of Agriculture as a standing member of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) to consider agriculture needs when making determinations affecting our national security, and
- Requires reporting from the Secretary of Agriculture on the risk of foreign purchases of agriculture companies to the American agriculture sector.
Read full bill text here.