In a rare but welcome moment of bipartisan cooperation, Senators Pete Ricketts (R-NE) and John Fetterman (D-PA) have joined forces to introduce the Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure (AFIDA) Improvements Act — legislation aimed at tightening oversight on foreign, especially Chinese, purchases of American farmland amid growing national security concerns.
This bill responds to alarming reports that Chinese entities have been quietly snapping up agricultural land near critical U.S. military bases such as Grand Forks Air Force Base in North Dakota and Fort Liberty in North Carolina. More troubling still are recent incidents of Chinese nationals attempting to smuggle crop-destroying fungi—specifically *Fusarium graminearum*, a known bioterrorism threat—into American heartland labs, underscoring how vulnerable our food supply and national security truly are.
Senator Ricketts laid out the stakes bluntly, calling Communist China “our greatest geopolitical threat” and warning that these land purchases are not just innocent investments but potential espionage opportunities.
“This is a way for us to improve the disclosure that’s going on with regard to the purchase of this agricultural land, so we can take other action if necessary to make sure we’re not giving Communist China the opportunity to buy agricultural land,” Ricketts said.
His concerns extend beyond acreage to strategic placement:
> “It’s not just about the number of acres they own, but the fact that they own it around Grand Forks Air Force Base or Fort Liberty. They’re buying it around sensitive military installations.”
Ricketts even drew a chilling comparison to Ukraine’s resilience against Russian aggression, suggesting that the U.S. could be just as vulnerable at home:
“They’ve owned farmland close enough to our air bases to be able to launch a drone strike. That should be very concerning to us.”
The bill follows recommendations from the Government Accountability Office, giving the USDA greater authority to monitor these purchases and share information with the Committee on Foreign Investment—a crucial step toward transparency and security.
Adding to the gravity of the threat, Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin emphasized the importance of protecting America’s food supply from bioterrorism. She highlighted last week’s foiled smuggling attempt of the dangerous fungus by Chinese nationals as a stark reminder of the stakes involved.
Jerome Gorgon, interim U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan, explained that the plan involved using a University of Michigan laboratory to carry out the scheme, painting a disturbing picture of foreign interference in America’s agricultural research infrastructure.
Senator Fetterman, known for occasionally bucking his party, has proven he’s willing to cross aisles when national security is on the line. Previously, he criticized Democrats for their petty protests against former President Donald Trump’s historic address to Congress, calling their behavior a “sad cavalcade of self-owns.”
This bill’s bipartisan nature is a breath of fresh air in Washington’s often gridlocked political landscape. Protecting U.S. farmland from foreign adversaries isn’t a partisan issue—it’s about safeguarding American sovereignty, national security, and the future of our food supply.
With China’s influence creeping closer to our military bases and attempts to sabotage our agriculture growing bolder, legislation like the AFIDA Improvements Act could be a critical step in standing firm against foreign threats. Americans deserve no less than vigilant protection against those who would seek to weaken us from within.
