Protecting Sensitive U.S. Military Sites from Foreign Adversaries is Aim of Bipartisan Tester Bill

Senator’s Protect Our Bases Act would require review of real estate transactions near sensitive American military sites

As part of his relentless efforts to protect Montana and strengthen our national security, U.S. Senator Jon Tester is leading bipartisan legislation aimed at preventing foreign adversaries from acquiring property near sensitive American military and intelligence sites. Tester’s bipartisan Protect Our Bases Act would empower the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) to review real estate transactions that could pose a national security risk in connection with U.S. military installations, National Laboratories, and intelligence community sites.

“Preventing our enemies from acquiring land near our sensitive military sites like Montana’s very own Malmstrom Air Force Base is a no brainer,” said Tester. “We’ve got to make sure that our foreign adversaries who want to take America’s place as the world’s leading economic and military superpower can’t get anywhere near our bases and intelligence sites. I’m dead-set on protecting Montana and our country, and my commonsense, bipartisan bill will help do exactly that.”  

In addition to expanding CFIUS’s authority to review real estate transactions that could pose a national security risk, Tester’s bipartisan bill would also require an annual review of the list of facilities and properties, and annual reports to the Senate Banking and House Financial Services Committees.

Defending Montana and bolstering our national security from foreign adversaries has been a top priority for Tester in the U.S. Senate.

As the only working dirt farmer in the U.S. Senate, Tester has led the charge to 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.

In July, Tester secured his bipartisan PASS Act as an amendment to must-pass annual national defense bill, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). 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 and agribusinesses by our foreign adversaries.