Nothing the Chinese Communist Party does is a coincidence or an accident. It has carried out strategic moves to bolster its competitive advantages, build an elite military, and increase its influence around the world. As the preeminent leader on the global stage, the United States represents both China’s greatest obstacle and, unfortunately, its greatest resource. 

As my colleague Rep. Andy Barr and I noted earlier this week, Chinese companies, serving as commercial arms of the CCP, enjoy unfettered access to U.S. investment opportunities. There are more than 250 publicly traded Chinese companies listed on the U.S. exchanges with a total market capitalization over $1 trillion. China also leeches off U.S. institutions including research universities to steal intellectual property. Inadvertently, the United States is propping up China, the CCP, and all atrocities it commits.   

Make no mistake, this parasite is not content with coexistence. 

Earlier this year, the United States Air Force raised concerns over a Chinese company’s plans to acquire property near a base in Grand Forks, North Dakota. The proximity, according to the Air Force, indicated hostile intentions from the CCP to steal military information and test security practices. 

Chinese nationals have breached U.S. military bases as many as 100 times in recent years, often posing as tourists but secretly reporting back to the Chinese government. Fortunately, the United States government has a body that is designed to review these purchases and deny them if they pose a risk to the American people. Unfortunately, it doesn’t always work as it should. 

The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) is meant to oversee and investigate potentially harmful investments from foreign entities. The committee reviewed the Chinese company’s plans for Grand Forks but discovered it lacked the ability to block the purchase. Fortunately, strong statewide opposition to the deal helped turn the company away. The threat, however, still looms large. 

Roughly 148 acres of U.S. farmland sell every hour, and we should not rely solely on the bases themselves flagging threats nor local opposition fighting the deals. Considering the CCP’s unrelenting hostility toward the rest of the world, Congress must review all ways it could do us harm. As the Chairman of the Subcommittee on National Security, Illicit Finance, and International Financial Institutions, these purchases fall directly in my jurisdiction. 

I have introduced the Safeguarding American Farms from Foreign Influence Act to prevent the CCP from buying land near U.S. military sites. Specifically, the bill gives CFUIS the authority to review and deny these purchases. This issue hits especially close to home for you and me. Who can forget the Chinese spy balloon that floated over our district in Missouri last February? Missouri is also home to several military bases and thousands of service members, all of whom deserve airtight security as they carry out critical missions.

As I’ve mentioned, the CCP threat spans far and wide, warranting comprehensive action to thwart its economic and militaristic plans. The first step is ensuring the United States stops funding its mission.

I’ve worked with Congressman Andy Barr, who is a member of the Subcommittee, to introduce the Chinese Military and Surveillance Company Sanctions Act. Our bill would blacklist and hamstring companies crucial to China’s military-industrial complex. Presidents Trump and Biden both issued executive orders creating lists of Chinese military and surveillance technology companies, and our bill would put these lists to good use. 

In practice, we aim to cut off the flow of funding from the United States to the CCP and discourage third parties from supporting their regime. Chinese companies like Huawei aren’t dependent on investment. They rely on the sale of goods and services, the importation of cutting-edge technologies, and access to the dollar-led financial system. The sanctions in our bill would make much of this impossible.

No supporter of free markets should simultaneously tolerate a totalitarian government with a track record of sinister human rights abuses. 

The Chinese government poses an immediate threat with long-lasting implications. Their authoritarian leaders are carrying out a century-long plan to reshape the world, and we must act now to ensure future generations enjoy the economic freedom and domestic security inherent to America’s identity. 

I look forward to working with my colleagues in Congress to address this critical issue and will provide you with updates when possible. 

CONTACT US: I encourage you to visit my official website or call my offices in Jefferson City (573-635-7232) or Cottleville (636-327-7055) with your questions and concerns. If you want even greater access to what I am working on, please visit my YouTube site, Facebook page, and keep up-to-date with Twitter and Instagram.