Republican Lawmakers Join Trump Administration Push to Stop the Sale of U.S. Land to China

This should have been done long ago.

Sens. Rick Scott of Florida, Tom Cotton of Arkansas, Kevin Cramer of North Dakota and Katie Britt of Alabama introduced the “Not One More Inch or Acre Act.” It would give Mr. Trump clear authority to prohibit all future land purchases by the CCP and force the divestment of already owned property in cases of national security protection. “Communist China has chosen to be our enemy and seeks to destroy us and our way of life every chance they get,” Mr. Scott said in a statement. “It’s alarming that CCP-linked entities have been quietly buying up U.S. farmland, often strategically located close to our military bases. That’s not a coincidence. It’s a threat to our national security” (Washington Times). Gordon Chang: Pass a law requiring Chinese nationals to divest ownership of farm and ranch land as well as any real property interest within, say, 10 miles of any military or national security facility. Also, give the President the authority to designate areas where no Chinese national may own any real property interest (Chang).

By Mallory Wilson – The Washington Times – July 15, 2025

Republican lawmakers introduced a bill Tuesday that would stop members of the Chinese Communist Party from purchasing land in the U.S., a move that aligns with efforts of the Trump administration.

Sens. Rick Scott of Florida, Tom Cotton of Arkansas, Kevin Cramer of North Dakota and Katie Britt of Alabama introduced the “Not One More Inch or Acre Act.” It would give Mr. Trump clear authority to prohibit all future land purchases by the CCP and force the divestment of already owned property in cases of national security protection.

“Communist China has chosen to be our enemy and seeks to destroy us and our way of life every chance they get,” Mr. Scott said in a statement. “It’s alarming that CCP-linked entities have been quietly buying up U.S. farmland, often strategically located close to our military bases. That’s not a coincidence. It’s a threat to our national security.”

He applauded the administration for taking steps to stop “ignoring this growing danger.”

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins last week announced the National Farm Security Action, which would ban the sale of land to Chinese nationals and other foreign adversaries through a multi-agency effort.

“American agriculture is not just about feeding our families, but about protecting our nation and standing up to foreign adversaries who are buying our farmland, stealing our research, and creating dangerous vulnerabilities in the very systems that sustain us,” Ms. Rollins said at a press conference at the Agriculture Department headquarters.

She said seven active agreements with foreign countries of concern have been canceled and 70 people affiliated with those countries have been removed. Another 550 entities are in the process of being removed for similar reasons.

Chinese nationals currently own roughly 265,000 acres of U.S. land, according to the USDA.

“For them, agricultural lands and our farms, because they are a previous inheritance, are weapons to be turned against us,” Ms. Rollins said. “We see it again and again, from Chinese communist acquisition of American farmland to criminal exploits of our system of agriculture, to the theft of operational information required to work the land and beyond. All of this takes what is profoundly good and turns it toward evil purposes.”

Other countries of concern include North Korea, Iran and Russia.

Ms. Rollins was joined in her announcement by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Attorney General Pam Bondi, White House trade adviser Peter Navarro, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Republican Govs. Sarah Huckabee Sanders of Arkansas, Jim Pillen of Nebraska and Bill Lee of Tennessee.