Representative Mike Gallagher (R-WI) has stated that the agriculture sector is a "prime target and a priority" for the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in its "economic warfare against the United States." Gallagher, who serves as Chairman of the House Select Committee on the CCP, made these remarks during his testimony before the House Agriculture Committee at "The Danger China Poses to American Agriculture" hearing on March 21.
"To put it bluntly, the CCP is actively engaged in economic warfare against the United States, and our agricultural sector is a prime target and a priority for the Chinese Communist Party," Rep. Gallagher said," said Gallagher, US Rep. (R-WI), according to Select Committee on the CCP.
According to a press release, Gallagher said, "There are dangerous loopholes in our [Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS)] process that allow People's Republic of China (PRC) and other malign actors to purchase our farmland and acquire real estate in proximity to sensitive national security sites."
Gallagher proposed two bills aimed at addressing land purchases backed by the CCP. The first, titled 'Protecting U.S. Farmland and Sensitive Sites From Foreign Adversaries Act', would give jurisdiction to the President's Committee on Foreign Investment to "screen all land purchases by foreign adversary entities." This would necessitate a vetting process for all land purchases near areas deemed "sensitive", such as military bases. The second bill, named 'BIOSECURE Act', seeks to prevent foreign biotech companies from acquiring genetic sequences of American plants and animals.
The website of the Committee on the CCP reveals that Gallagher has been serving as the representative for Wisconsin’s 8th district since 2017. In addition to chairing the Select Committee on Strategic Competition between the US and the Chinese Communist Party, Gallagher also holds the position of Chairman of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Cyber, Information Technologies, and Innovation. He is also a member of the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. Furthermore, he served as Co-Chairman of the Cyberspace Solarium Commission from 2019 to 2021.
