This month in Washington, on top of participating in some meaningful committee hearings, I had a longstanding priority of mine signed into law that will protect Oklahoma farmers from hostile foreign investment.

In Oklahoma, I traveled around the state for some important meetings and events.

This month, President Biden signed into law the Consolidated Appropriations Act, which included my bill, the Agricultural Security Risk Review Act (H.R. 3378).

With an increasing amount of potentially hostile foreign investment in U.S. farmland, protecting America’s agriculture industry becomes more and more paramount to our national security. That’s why I introduced legislation to include the Secretary of Agriculture as a member of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, which is the interagency committee that oversees the national security implications of foreign investment in the United States. This legislation finally became law this month.

As a fifth-generation farmer and rancher, who’s seen this issue grow in concern, I’ve spent years to have this bill see the light of day. So I applaud my colleagues in the House and Senate for bringing this longstanding priority of mine to the President’s desk.

I also wrote a recent Op-Ed on this matter, which you can read here.

Opinion: Congress bolsters food security

03/20/24 By Rep. Frank Lucas KEYWORDS AGRICULTURE CFIUS FARMERS FOOD SECURITY FOOD SUPPLY FOREIGN FARMLAND OWNERSHIP REP. FRANK LUCAS TRUSTED INSIGHTS As the House Agriculture Committee convenes this week to examine the threat China poses to the U.S. agricultural industry, it’s important to take a closer look at the steps under way to bolster our food security against foreign adversaries.

A resilient food supply is essential to national security, which is why the rise of foreign investments in our nation’s farmlands deserves increased scrutiny. We have seen how our geopolitical adversaries, China in particular, are eager to exploit vulnerabilities in critical supply chains. Investment from China poses unique risks to the U.S. economy, with the Chinese Communist Party exercising immense control and influence over Chinese-owned companies operating abroad.

Chinese-owned agricultural land rose from previous years to at least 349,442 acres in 2022. Foreign ownership of U.S. farmland and agricultural businesses has steadily increased over the past decade.

A prominent example unfolded in late 2021 when a Chinese-based agribusiness, Fufeng Group, planned a significant investment near the Grand Forks Air Force Base. This sparked a local and national outcry that elevated the attention toward foreign adversaries investing in U.S. agriculture.