Jon Tester: “we are going to be voting on an amendment here in a few minutes that I want to rise in support of. It was introduced by…”

“we are going to be voting on an amendment here in a few minutes that I want to rise in support of. It was introduced by my friend the Senator from South Dakota, Senator Rounds. This amendment aims to protect American food security against attacks by foreign adversaries--in particular, these four foreign adversaries: China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea. As many of you know, I am a third-generation farmer. I know firsthand that food security is national security. It is that plain. It is that simple. Allowing our foreign adversaries to invest in American farmland and agribusiness is a direct threat to our food supply. Preventing our adversaries, our enemies from acquiring land near sensitive military sites--sites like Air Force bases, like the one in Montana, Malmstrom Air Force Base--is a no-brainer, and now we need to protect the rest of our food system. This amendment will enable the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States--otherwise known as CFIUS--to review all significant agriculture-related foreign investments, and it will empower the Agency to prohibit future purchases of farmland by our foreign adversaries. Our amendment also includes commonsense provisions that protect the rights of U.S. citizens and permanent residents and small farmers and business owners.…”