On Senate Floor, Tester Urges Colleagues to Support His Bipartisan Legislation to Protect American Farmland From Foreign Adversaries

Senator: “As a third-generation farmer, I know firsthand that food security is national security – plain and simple”;

Tester’s amendment set to receive key vote as part of annual must-pass defense bill

As part of his continued push to protect America’s food security and national security, U.S. Senator Jon Tester today took to the Senate floor to urge his Senate colleagues to support his bipartisan legislation to prevent foreign adversaries – China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran – from acquiring American farmland or agribusiness. Tester’s legislation is set to receive a key vote today as part of the must-pass annual national defense bill, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).

“As a third-generation farmer, I know firsthand that food security is national security – plain and simple,” said Tester on the Senate floor. “Allowing our foreign adversaries to invest in American farmland and agribusiness is a direct threat to our nation’s food supply. Preventing our enemies from acquiring land near our sensitive military sites, like Malmstrom Air Force base in my home state of Montana, is a no brainer. And now we need to protect the rest of our food system.”

Tester concluded his remarks by emphasizing that protecting American farmland and agribusiness is essential toward ensuring America maintains our position as the world’s leading military and economic superpower.  

“This is a critical step toward making sure we aren’t handing over valuable American assets to foreign entities who would like to replace us as the world’s leading military and economic power,” continued Tester. “I urge all my colleagues in the room today to support this commonsense solution that will protect our nation’s food supply and defend our country against bad actors.”

Last week, Tester announced he secured a key vote on his bipartisan legislation as an amendment to the must-pass annual national defense bill, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).

As the only working dirt farmer in the U.S. Senate, Tester has led the charge to combat Chinese aggression and prevent foreign adversaries from purchasing American farmland. Tester has introduced two bipartisan bills — the Protecting America’s Agricultural Land from Foreign Harm Act and the Promoting Agriculture Safeguards and Security (PASS) Act — to prohibit America’s foreign adversaries including China, Iran, North Korea, and Russia from purchasing or leasing U.S. farmland.

CFIUS is an interagency body comprised of nine officials, two ex officio members, and Presidential appointees that assists the President in reviewing the national security aspects of foreign direct investment in the United States. CFIUS’s members include: Departments of the Treasury (Chair), Justice, Homeland Security, Commerce, Defense, State, and Energy, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, and the Office of Science and Technology Policy.

Tester’s amendment would enable CFIUS to review all significant agriculture-related foreign investments using expert data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and it will empower CFIUS to prohibit future purchases of farmland by our foreign adversaries.