The Chinese Communist Party has been buying large swaths of farmland in states across the country, with much of the acreage located near U.S. military installations. The purchases have prompted a number of governors, like South Dakota's Kristi Noem, to sign legislation barring the ability for the CCP to buy property in their states.
Now, Republican Congressman Michael Waltz and Democrat Josh Gottheimer want to prevent China from gobbling up precious mineral and energy resources in the U.S. They've introduced new legislation, the CCP Lease Abolishment for Minerals and Petroleum Act, that would bar the Department of Interior from issuing "issuing, renewing, or allowing the transfer of any new or existing energy and mineral leases to any company owned, operated, or controlled by the Chinese Communist Party."
“The Chinese Communist is taking advantage of our free-market economy to exploit, steal, influence, and spy,” Waltz released in a statement. “We cannot continue to sit back and allow our greatest adversary to take control over resources that are integral to our industrial base and American consumers. The CCP has exploited loopholes for long enough. I am proud to work with Congressman Gottheimer to keep our natural resources and public lands and waters out of the hands of the CCP.”
Reps. Mike Waltz and @RepJoshG introduced the bipartisan CLAMP Act to prohibit the DOI from issuing, renewing, or allowing the transfer of any new or existing energy and mineral leases to any company owned, operated, or controlled by the CCP.
— Congressman Waltz Press (@RepWaltzPress) March 10, 2023
More 👇 https://t.co/b3MHWa7AbX
NO federal lands nor waters should be leased to our greatest adversary. Period.
— Rep. Mike Waltz (@michaelgwaltz) March 10, 2023
Learn more about my bipartisan legislation to ban mineral and petroleum leases to CCP-backed entities 👇 pic.twitter.com/aauLm226Nt
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"The Chinese Communist Party has made it clear that it is willing to leverage technology and resources to breach United States institutions, steal our intellectual property, collect data on U.S. citizens, access the systems that handle our critical infrastructure, and control our country’s resources. We must protect our national security from the CCP — an adversary that wants to do harm to America’s standing as the leader of the free world," Gottheimer added. "With this bipartisan legislation I'm introducing with Congressman Waltz, both Democrats and Republicans are coming together to stop the Chinese government from accessing our federal lands, waters, and critical natural resources."
Meanwhile, President Joe Biden continues to welcome "competition" from and with China.
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