
Amid rising national security concerns, U.S. lawmakers are sounding the alarm over foreign adversaries, particularly China, acquiring land near critical sites such as Coast Guard facilities and Energy Department labs. This issue highlights significant vulnerabilities in the existing regulations governing foreign land purchases.
The Committee of Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) has recently expanded its authority to review transactions at 50 military locations. However, many crucial sites — including national labs, telecommunications, and maritime ports — remain excluded from this oversight, raising serious security questions.
Reps. Greg Murphy (R-NC) and John Moolenaar (R-MI) are leading the charge for reform. In a letter to the Treasury Department, they expressed concern about the current gaps in national security protocols, stating, “Coast Guard facilities and Department of Energy National Labs… remain off CFIUS’s list of sensitive sites.”
The urgency of the situation is underscored by the fact that companies linked to the Chinese Communist Party currently own over 384,000 acres of U.S. agricultural land, reflecting a 30% increase since 2019. This amounts to nearly $2 billion in assets, strategically positioning Beijing to influence American agriculture.
Despite recent enhancements to oversight measures, the existing regulations do not retroactively apply to past acquisitions. Lawmakers point out that this allows properties purchased before a site is designated as sensitive to evade scrutiny. “We cannot allow bad actors to purchase land in America to harm us,” Murphy stated, calling for immediate legislative action.
The lack of CFIUS reviews for land purchases near Coast Guard and Energy Department facilities poses a serious risk. Lawmakers argue that closing these loopholes is essential to safeguard national security and prevent foreign adversaries from exploiting American resources.