Lucas Bill to Protect American Farmland Passes Out of Committee with Unanimous Support

Washington, DC – At today’s House Financial Services Committee markup, Congressman Frank D. Lucas (OK-03) saw widespread support for his long-standing priority, the Agricultural Risk Review Act (H.R. 1713). The legislation passed unanimously out of the committee after Congressman Lucas spoke in support of the bill. You can watch his remarks here.

H.R. 1713 adds the Secretary of Agriculture as a permanent member on the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), the interagency committee charged with reviewing the national security implications of foreign investments in the economy. The bill also requires CFIUS to consider referrals for reportable agricultural land transactions from USDA.

A section of this bill was included under the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2024 last Congress. H.R. 1713 would make these provisions permanent law.

“As a fifth-generation farmer and rancher, I know firsthand that food security is national security. That is why I have long advocated for giving the Secretary of Agriculture a voice in national security discussions,” said Congressman Lucas. “I am proud to reintroduce this bill and work to ensure this effort can now become permanent law.”

“Food security is national security. This commonsense bill ensures that the U.S. Department of Agriculture has a seat on CFIUS to scrutinize acquisitions in land, biotechnology, and our broader agriculture industry to ensure they are in our national interest,” said Congresswoman Tokuda. “As a member of the House Agriculture Committee and ranking member of its Subcommittee on Conservation, Research, and Biotechnology, protecting Hawai‘i and American agriculture and ensuring our farmers continue to compete and lead on the global market will always be among my top priorities.”
-Rep. Jill Tokuda, Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Conservation, Research, and Biotechnology; Member on the Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party.

BACKGROUND:

During the 118th Congress, the Agricultural Security Risk Review Act passed the House under the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2024 and was then signed into law by President Biden.

The Agricultural Risk Review Act would add the Secretary of Agriculture as a permanent member to the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) for any transactions related to the purchase of agriculture land, agricultural biotechnology, or any other transaction related to the U.S. agriculture industry, as determined by the USDA Secretary.

CFIUS is currently chaired by the Secretary of the Treasury, and Members of the Committee include the heads of the Departments of Justice, Homeland Security, Commerce, Defense, State, Energy, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, and the Office of Science & Technology Policy.

While the Secretary of Treasury can designate the Secretary of Agriculture as a lead agency for transactions on a case-by-case basis, the Secretary of Agriculture is not a permanent Member.

During a House Agriculture Committee hearing in the 118th Congress, then-USDA Secretary Vilsack discussed the implications of a permanent placement of the USDA Secretary on CFIUS, saying, “Being a permanent member would allow us to educate the other members of CFIUS what to look for and what to be sensitive to when it comes to agriculture and agricultural production.”

The legislation is cosponsored by Reps. Jill Tokuda (D-HI), Andy Barr (R-KY), Zachary Nunn (R-IA), David Rouzer (R-NC), Monica De La Cruz (R-TX), and John Rose (R-TN).

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