Senate Western Caucus Chair Cynthia Lummis announced the introduction of the No American Land for Communist China Act, aimed at preventing the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) from purchasing land adjacent to federal lands. The legislation is intended to protect Wyoming and other western states from potential threats to critical mineral and energy production.

According to a press release by Lummis, the bill aims to prevent any CCP-affiliated entities from acquiring land adjacent to federal properties in the U.S., with Senators John Barrasso, Mike Crapo, and Tom Cotton supporting the initiative. A companion bill has also been introduced in the House by Representative Dan Newhouse.

"The people of Wyoming should not have to worry about the CCP buying up western land in order to spy on the federal government or undermine our domestic energy and critical mineral production," said Lummis. "Allowing foreign adversaries to purchase our land is like welcoming a fox into the hen house, and I am introducing this legislation to preserve our national security and prevent the CCP from acquiring American land to spy on our government."

The bill mandates that the president enforce this prohibition against Chinese government agents and businesses with significant Chinese government ownership, defining "covered federal lands" as those managed by the Departments of the Interior, Defense, and Agriculture, as well as Indian countries, according to Congress.gov.

Lummis was sworn into the U.S. Senate on January 3, 2021, as the first female Senator from Wyoming. Previously, she served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2008 to 2016, where she was a founding member of the House Freedom Caucus and worked on fiscal issues and Western policies. Before Congress, Lummis held various roles in Wyoming’s state government and legal sector, according to information provided by Senate.gov.