Peace Garden News

In 2021, the Chinese Fufeng Group bought 370 acres of land for a wet-corn milling plant located 12 miles from Grand Forks Air Force Base in North Dakota. The purchase raised concerns in the local community and among officials because of the company’s connections to the Chinese Communist Party and the sensitive nature of operations at the nearby military base. U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) opposed the transaction, citing national security risks. He called for the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) to review the investment, but CFIUS determined it did not have legal authority to assess this case.

A letter from the U.S. Air Force in January 2023 stated that the Fufeng project “presents a significant threat to national security with both near- and long-term risks of significant impacts to our operations in the area.”

Since then, Senator Cramer has worked to expand CFIUS’ jurisdiction over such transactions. Alongside Senate Banking Committee members including Senators Tim Scott, Mike Crapo, Mike Rounds, Thom Tillis, John Kennedy, Bill Hagerty, Katie Britt, Pete Ricketts, Jim Banks, Bernie Moreno, and Dave McCormick, he introduced the Protect Our Bases Act. This bill aims to update records of military installations and other sensitive sites considered important for national security.

Senator Cramer said: “Every time a foreign adversary acquires land near U.S. military installations and sensitive sites, the safety and security of our nation is at risk,” “The Protect our Bases Act will allow CFIUS to make necessary updates to hold our adversaries accountable, protect us from potential national security threats, and bring much-needed transparency and clarity to the table. We should discourage land being sold to bad people.”

The proposed legislation would give CFIUS more direct authority over investments by foreign adversaries near sensitive national security locations instead of relying on member agencies to maintain updated lists. The act seeks to consolidate statutory authorities so that CFIUS can use its own list of sensitive sites—including military bases, intelligence facilities, and national laboratories—to review transactions. It also requires committee members to annually update their interests on this list and report related actions or reviews to Congress.

After concerns about Fufeng’s land purchase surfaced, CFIUS expanded its oversight over Grand Forks Air Force Base and seven other bases. Senator Cramer also supported amendments in the Fiscal Year 2024 National Defense Authorization Act aimed at strengthening protections against similar investments. Additionally, language backed by Senator Cramer was included in an appropriations package requiring that the Secretary of Agriculture participate in reviews involving foreign agricultural or biotechnology purchases deemed important for national security.

Senator Cramer has also introduced legislation that would allow governors to ask CFIUS whether a proposed transaction should be reviewed before development begins.

For more information on this legislation visit: https://www.cramer.senate.gov/services/files/EC8B9F31-CC63-43C5-B9E6-F2A8EDC98E1B