Congressman John Moolenaar Chairman of the Select Committee on the CCP | Official Website
Chairman John Moolenaar (R-MI) of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party and Congressman Greg Murphy, M.D. (R-NC), have urged U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen to include U.S. Coast Guard facilities and other sensitive sites under the jurisdiction of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS). In their letter, they also requested that CFIUS reviews be held retroactively when a site is newly added to CFIUS’s list of sensitive sites.
The lawmakers emphasized the importance of protecting Coast Guard bases in a manner similar to military bases within the CFIUS process, especially as adversaries encroach on U.S. territory and Chinese Communist Party-affiliated land purchases increase across the United States.
“Xi Jinping would never allow Americans to buy land next to sensitive Chinese bases. Unfortunately, current U.S. policy all too often rolls out the red carpet for CCP land purchases. We must more effectively use CFIUS to stop our foremost adversary from purchasing US land, particularly CCP-aligned entities like Gotion, which wants to set up shop in my home state,” said Chairman John Moolenaar.
Congressman Greg Murphy added, "Today, our adversaries are doing everything they can to undermine American sovereignty and security. This includes purchasing land on our soil to use for espionage and other belligerent purposes. While CFIUS coverage includes many military bases and other sensitive areas, U.S. Coast Guard facilities, National Laboratories, some maritime ports, and critical telecommunications and energy infrastructure are not included. This leaves the United States vulnerable to hostile nations and malicious actors."
Murphy further expressed his gratitude for Chairman Moolenaar's support in recognizing current security shortcomings and urged Secretary Yellen to consider these recommendations as the Department of the Treasury finalizes its proposed rule to expand CFIUS coverage.
The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) is an interagency committee under the Department of the Treasury authorized to review foreign investment and real estate transactions in the country to protect national security.
On July 8th, 2024, the U.S. Department of the Treasury issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to add over 50 military installations across 30 states to its existing list of installations around which CFIUS has jurisdiction over land purchases.
View the lawmakers' letter to Secretary Yellen HERE
