South Dakota has been drawing the blueprint for state-led response to the threat from Communist China. The Biden Administration’s failure to protect Americans from nations that hate us has required states to do the job themselves. We’ve taken steps to secure our state from Communist China, including banning TikTok on state devices. But we can’t continue without some federal legislation.
I have said many times that food security is national security. And right now, Communist China is using fear and control to perpetuate their agenda. If they successfully control our food supply, they will be able to control the United States of America.
I sent a letter to U.S. House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party Chairman Mike Gallagher supporting his bill to protect our farmland from foreign adversaries. I am also working with South Dakota’s Congressman Dusty Johnson on a bill that prohibits hard-earned taxpayer dollars from bankrolling China’s threats.
Over the last decade, China’s holdings of American agricultural land has increased by 5,300%. Chairman Gallagher’s bill protects our farmland by giving the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States greater jurisdiction over land purchases tied to foreign adversaries. The foreign adversaries listed in the bill are the same six countries, including Communist China, that I listed as “Evil Foreign Governments” in a bill earlier this year. Congressman Dusty Johnson is a co-sponsor of this legislation. Chairman Gallagher’s bill also contains more protections for our agricultural land than the Senate amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act. T
In December 2022, I wrote to congressional leadership calling for legislation to protect taxpayer dollars from the Chinese Communist Party. Throughout the summer, I had multiple conversations with Congressman Johnson about what this legislation could look like and how it would benefit not only South Dakota, but the entire nation.
Congressman Johnson’s PRC Accountability and Divestment Act of 2023 allows states to divest taxpayer funds from China by giving state and local governments the authority to pull their assets out of and prohibit investments within Communist China. Any penny that ends up in China’s bank account is a cent against America values, Freedom, and strength. This bill gives states the opportunity to divest. And it gives Americans the peace of mind to know where their tax dollars are going and what they are supporting.
The Chinese Communist Party is a clear and present threat to America. They hate everything we stand for. They fight against our political, economic, and military values. They are attempting to infiltrate many facets of American’s everyday lives.
Where America stands for Freedom – Communist China fights for tyranny.
I am glad that Congressman Johnson and Chairman Gallagher see the national security threat that China poses. I am also grateful that Senator Mike Rounds is taking action. States cannot continue to secure American citizens by ourselves – it is time for the federal government to take action.
