Political Quotes

“Mr. Chair, this amendment seems innocent enough. Surely, we do not want our foreign adversaries to acquire agricultural land here in the United States, but ultimately, this is a solution in search of a problem. As of December 2023, the USDA reported that foreignly held agricultural land is approximately 3.5 percent of all privately held agricultural land in the United States. Essentially, five countries, Canada, the Netherlands, Italy, U.K., and Germany, account for 62 percent of this 3.5 percent, with land owned by China coming in at approximately 0.9 percent of the total foreign-owned land, this 3.5 percent, in the United States. The definition is also very general and leaves the President with a lot of discretion to decide which countries or people fit within the definition. We have seen President Trump turn against longstanding allies and partners, calling them adversaries and targeting individuals who stand up to him or refuse to bow down before him. Allowing a President, any President, to target landholdings seems like a very dangerous tool to place in the hands of our current President. Let's be clear: I share the concern about protecting U.S. agricultural land and national security, but this amendment is overly broad and risks serious unintended consequences.”