Sen. Katie Britt called the Chinese Communist Party “our greatest geopolitical and national security threat” and said Friday that “everything they do is as our adversary.”
To help counter this threat, Britt (R-Montgomery) has joined forces with Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) to introduce the “Not One More Inch or Acre Act.”
According to Britt, the legislation will ensure that no Chinese national or Chinese entity will be allowed to own American land.
“The FBI has said that they open a new counterintelligence case against China about twice per day,” she said. “From stealing our intellectual property and spying on our children through TikTok, to buying up American farmland near military installations and engaging in unfair trade practices that undercut Alabama steelmakers and shrimpers, we must hold the CCP accountable.
“We accomplish this through strength, not continued weakness.”
She was thankful for Cotton’s role in introducing the legislation and reiterated that she will continue work against the CCP.
“I’m grateful for Senator Cotton’s continued leadership on this critical issue,” Britt said. “I’ll continue to fight to defend hardworking Americans while protecting our homeland.”
Specifically, if enacted, the bill would:
- Prohibit citizens of the People’s Republic of China, members of the CCP or any individual or entity acting on their behalf from purchasing any real estate in the United States.
- Require the sale of any property owned or influenced by the CCP that the President determines to be a national security risk.
- Set a minimum penalty for foreign investors who fail to comply with USDA reporting requirements.
“For decades, the Chinese Communist Party has been gobbling up American farmland and real-estate,” Cotton said. “At best, this submits American land and resources to China’s best interests, not America’s; at worst, these purchases serve as outposts for Chinese espionage campaigns against American businesses and military bases.
“We can’t allow Chinese citizens, or anyone affiliated with the CCP, to own one more inch of American soil. And any American land exploited by current Chinese ownership should be sold.”
Austen Shipley is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News.
