Owens Works to Protect U.S. Agriculture from Foreign Adversaries

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Burgess Owens (UT-04) co-sponsored the bipartisan Promoting Agriculture Safeguards and Security (PASS) Act, legislation to protect our national security by preventing foreign adversaries from taking any ownership or control of the United States’ agricultural land and agricultural businesses.

As a response to reports of China threatening America’s food supply by acquiring U.S. farmland and agriculture companies, this bill will ensure the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is fully involved in reviewing our foreign adversaries’ acquisition of American companies that may affect our agriculture sector.

“China is our single greatest adversary and a grave threat to our nation’s safety, security, and prosperity,” said Rep. Owens. “There is no excuse for why the Chinese Communist Party has been allowed to buy American farmland, and I am proud to support the PASS Act to take a strong stand against the CCP’s malign influence and protect America’s economic and national security interests.” 

The Promoting Agriculture Safeguards and Security (PASS) Act:

• Prohibits China, Russia, Iran and North Korea from purchasing U.S. agricultural land and agricultural companies,
• Adds the Secretary of Agriculture as a standing member of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States to consider agriculture needs when making determinations affecting our national security,
• Requires the President to submit a report to Congress on any waiver granted to a prohibited country, and
• Requires reporting from the Secretary of Agriculture on the risk of foreign purchases of agriculture companies to the American agriculture sector.

The full text of the legislation is available here.

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