[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 107 (Monday, June 23, 2025)]
[House]
[Pages H2865-H2866]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
AGRICULTURAL RISK REVIEW ACT OF 2025
Mrs. WAGNER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 1713) to amend the Defense Production Act of 1950 to include
the Secretary of Agriculture as a member of the Committee on Foreign
Investment in the United States, and for other purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 1713
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Agricultural Risk Review Act
of 2025''.
SEC. 2. INCLUSION OF THE SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE ON THE
COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN INVESTMENT IN THE UNITED
STATES.
Section 721(k) of the Defense Production Act of 1950 (50
U.S.C. 4565(k)) is amended by adding at the end the
following:
``(8) Inclusion of the secretary of agriculture.--The
Secretary of Agriculture shall be a member of the Committee
with respect to a covered transaction that involves--
``(A) agricultural land;
``(B) agriculture biotechnology; or
``(C) the agriculture industry, including agricultural
transportation, storage, and processing.''.
SEC. 3. CONSIDERATION OF CERTAIN AGRICULTURAL LAND
TRANSACTIONS.
Section 721(b)(1) of the Defense Production Act of 1950 (50
U.S.C. 4565(b)(1)) is amended by adding at the end the
following:
``(I) Consideration of certain agricultural land
transactions.--
``(i) In general.--After receiving notification from the
Secretary of Agriculture of a reportable agricultural land
transaction, the Committee shall determine--
``(I) whether the transaction is a covered transaction; and
``(II) if the Committee determines that the transaction is
a covered transaction, whether the Committee should initiate
a review pursuant to subparagraph (D), or take another action
authorized under this section, with respect to the reportable
agricultural land transaction.
``(ii) Reportable agricultural land transaction.--In this
subparagraph, the term `reportable agricultural land
transaction' means a transaction--
``(I) that the Secretary of Agriculture has reason to
believe is a covered transaction, based on information from
or in cooperation with the intelligence community;
``(II) that involves the acquisition of an interest in
agricultural land by a foreign person of the People's
Republic of China, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea,
the Russian Federation, or the Islamic Republic of Iran; and
``(III) with respect to which a person is required to
submit a report to the Secretary of Agriculture under section
2(a) of the Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act of
1978.
``(iii) Sunset.--The requirements under this subparagraph
shall terminate, with respect to a foreign person of the
respective foreign country, on the date that the People's
Republic of China, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea,
the Russian Federation, or the Islamic Republic of Iran, as
the case may be, is removed from the list of foreign
adversaries in section 791.4 of title 15, Code of Federal
Regulations.''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from
Missouri (Mrs. Wagner) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Sherman)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Missouri.
General Leave
Mrs. WAGNER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks
and include extraneous material on this bill.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentlewoman from Missouri?
There was no objection.
Mrs. WAGNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1713, the Agricultural Risk
Review Act of 2025. I thank Representative Lucas for his longstanding
leadership on this important legislation.
Today, the United States confronts a critical issue at the
intersection of national security and agriculture: foreign investment
in American farmland.
The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, or CFIUS,
plays a vital role in safeguarding our country by reviewing foreign
acquisitions that could pose risks to our national security. Ensuring
that CFIUS has the right expertise and authority to evaluate these
transactions is more important than ever.
For the first time since 2007, H.R. 1713 would formally add a Cabinet
Secretary to CFIUS, giving the Secretary of Agriculture an official
role in reviewing relevant agricultural transactions for national
security risks.
CFIUS has long held jurisdiction over foreign acquisitions of
agricultural businesses, including farmland involved in interstate
commerce. Since 2018, it has also been authorized to perform reviews of
land purchases near sensitive government sites. However, there is a
need to connect the Agriculture Department's expertise, including its
longstanding tracking of farmland purchases, with CFIUS' operations.
CFIUS could greatly benefit from the Secretary's expertise, and that
is what Congressman Lucas' legislation allows. As one of the first
Members of Congress to recognize this need at CFIUS, I applaud
Representative Lucas for his foresight and his dedication in advancing
this legislation.
I look forward to supporting his bill today. I urge all my colleagues
to join me in supporting H.R. 1713, and I reserve the balance of my
time.
Mr. SHERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1713, the Agricultural Risk
Review Act of 2025, sponsored by Representative Lucas.
H.R. 1713 aims to add the Secretary of Agriculture as a member of the
Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, also known as
CFIUS, when there is an agriculture-related issue. Recognizing the
importance of safe food and of national security involving agriculture,
H.R. 1713 also requires CFIUS to determine whether a national security
review is necessary upon notification from the Secretary of Agriculture
that an agricultural land transaction could somehow affect national
security.
I do not want to add my voice to what I regard as alarmist voices
talking about: Oh, my God, foreign interests, maybe even China, will
buy American land. Keep in mind that we need investment in the United
States.
When the Chinese buy a high-tech company, they can take that
technology that is acquired back to China. When they buy farmland, they
can't take the land back to China, and they can't take the food back to
China unless we decide to let them. Of course, the President could step
in in any kind of national emergency and prevent that.
There is discussion that the Chinese will buy a farm near, a couple
miles away from the main entrance to a military base, but, of course,
they could also park a car next to the military base. They can be in an
Airbnb next to the military base. They could rent a farm. I don't think
that the purchase of farmland poses the risks that are being overblown.
I don't think China can ship our topsoil back to China nor do I think
that China can deprive Americans of the ability to eat American food.
H.R. 1713 addresses these concerns, the concerns that people do have,
by providing a path for the Secretary of Agriculture to notify CFIUS
when those transactions, in the opinion of the Secretary of
Agriculture, do pose a threat or at least a concern.
This bill is identical to what Congress passed in 2024, but that was
in an appropriations bill. Passing it again will make sure that we make
this part of permanent statute.
When we focus on the security of our agriculture, we should also note
that arbitrary cuts are being made that will affect directly the
poorest families in our country, particularly cutbacks to the SNAP
program that provides safe nutrition to families that might otherwise
go hungry.
We also noticed that the DOGE effort of Elon Musk, who apparently
fortunately has returned most of his attention to his private
businesses, not only illegally cut millions of dollars from U.S.
Department of Agriculture activities but would deprive the Department
of Agriculture with the expertise necessary to carry out this bill, and
of
[[Page H2866]]
course, deprives the USDA of the staff it needs to prevent the spread
of food-borne disease.
Finally, I think the withdrawal of the United States from the World
Health Organization and illegally ending American food programs also
exposes the entire world and ultimately the United States to
substantial risks. Remember that when somebody suffers from a disease
abroad, that gives a chance for the disease to replicate, mutate, and
then migrate back to the United States.
I feel that H.R. 1713 does improve CFIUS. I urge my Republican
colleagues also to work to protect SNAP, the USDA, and our efforts at
global health. I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve
the balance of my time.
Mrs. WAGNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the
gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Lucas).
Mr. LUCAS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my bill, H.R.
1713, the Agricultural Risk Review Act. My bill would make permanent
the existing policy enacted under the Consolidated Appropriations Act
for fiscal year 2024 and bolster our food security against foreign
adversaries.
H.R. 1713 would amend the Defense Production Act to add the Secretary
of Agriculture as a permanent member to the Committee on Foreign
Investment in the United States, or CFIUS, for any transactions related
to the purchase of farmland, biotechnology, or any other transaction
related to the agricultural industry.
My bill also includes the Safeguarding American Farms from Foreign
Influence Act authored last Congress by the former chairman of the
Financial Services Subcommittee on National Security, Mr. Luetkemeyer.
That section of the bill requires CFIUS to consider referrals from
USDA for reportable agricultural land transactions prior to the
interagency process that determines whether review of the transaction
is warranted.
These bills received unanimous support when considered separately,
and then when joined together were also reported favorably to the floor
in a unanimous vote. These are commonsense measures in line with
existing practices and current law.
CFIUS' mandate is to review transactions involving foreign
investments in the United States to ensure such transactions do not
threaten our national security. Agriculture is too important to our
country's security to be left out.
Our geopolitical adversaries are eager to exploit vulnerabilities in
critical supply chains, such as our food supply. The inclusion of the
Secretary of Agriculture in reviews of agricultural transactions is
just plain common sense.
{time} 1615
Mr. Speaker, my bill has been bipartisan across administrations.
Former Agriculture Secretary Perdue under the first Trump
administration and former Agriculture Secretary Vilsack under the Biden
administration agreed that having a permanent seat at the table is
vital to the protection of our farmland and food supply.
I am also pleased to boast bipartisan support from the leadership of
the House Financial Services Committee. This bill has passed
unanimously out of the House Financial Services Committee for two
Congresses now, and it is past time for it to become law.
From Hawaii and Washington to New York and Florida to my home State
of Oklahoma, our Nation's agricultural land must be protected. That is
why a bipartisan group of Members from over 20 States across the
country have supported me in this effort.
I am grateful we took a positive step in the last Congress to include
this language in our annual appropriations process, but we must cement
this requirement in permanent law.
This legislation recognizes and supports the long-held understanding
that food supply is a critical component of U.S. national security. I
urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this bill.
Mr. SHERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to
close if the gentlewoman from Missouri has no further speakers, and
apparently, she does not have further speakers.
This bill, H.R. 1713, encourages more permanent, coordinated
communications between those who focus on agriculture and our national
security experts at CFIUS.
I commend the gentleman from Oklahoma for his work on the committee
on so many different issues. I urge my Republican colleagues not only
to support this bill but to support the activities of the Department of
Agriculture, including SNAP, food inspections, and other efforts
designed to make sure that our food supply is safe, available, and
secure.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I yield
back the balance of my time.
Mrs. WAGNER. Mr. Speaker, in closing, there is a need to connect the
Agriculture Department's expertise, including its longstanding tracking
of farmland purchases, with CFIUS' operations.
I look forward to supporting this bill today. I urge my colleagues to
do so and join me in supporting H.R. 1713, and I applaud Mr. Lucas for
this bill.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentlewoman from Missouri (Mrs. Wagner) that the House suspend the
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 1713, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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