Crapo, Scott, Colleagues Introduce Bill to Strengthen Foreign Land Purchase Review Process

Washington, D.C.--U.S. Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) joined Senator Tim Scott (R-South Carolina) to introduce the Protect Our Bases Act to ensure the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) can review foreign land purchases near sensitive military, intelligence, and national laboratory sites by requiring member agencies to annually update and review their lists of these sites.

“Idaho is home to the world-renowned Idaho National Laboratory and military bases and installations responsible for research, development and training of critical national security importance,” said Crapo.  “We must protect sensitive military and government sites from encroachment by foreign adversaries on our own land.”

“The Chinese Communist Party can’t be allowed to compromise the security of military and government facilities on our home turf,” said Scott.  “By enhancing the review of foreign real estate transactions near sites that are vital to U.S. national security, this legislation will increase accountability to help ensure the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States can take proper action to push back on Communist China and keep our nation safe.”

The bill is co-sponsored by Senators Steve Daines (R-Montana), Mike Rounds (R-South Dakota), Bill Hagerty (R-Tennessee) and Katie Britt (R-Alabama).

In 2022, Fufeng Group, a Chinese company with ties to the Chinese Communist Party, announced it would purchase land near Grand Forks Air Force Base in North Dakota.  The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) determined that it could not evaluate the transaction for national security risks because the Department of Defense had not listed the base as a sensitive site for national security purposes.  Although the City of Grand Forks ultimately blocked the transaction, the incident demonstrated a significant flaw in the review process of foreign land purchases.  CFIUS relies on its member agencies to provide updated information on sensitive military, intelligence, and national laboratory sites in order to properly assess the security risk of foreign investment in our country.  If CFIUS member agencies do not appropriately update their site lists, CFIUS cannot ensure an accurate review.

The Protect Our Bases Act requires agencies represented on CFIUS to provide updated records of the military, intelligence, and national laboratory facilities that should be sensitive sites for national security purposes to CFIUS on an annual basis.  Additionally, the legislation requires CFIUS to submit an annual report to Congress certifying the completion of such reviews and the accuracy of its real estate listings.

Read the bill text here.