For more than three years, the Biden-Harris administration’s policies have made the United States look weak, inviting our adversaries to capitalize on our nation’s vulnerabilities. Though the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) purchasing U.S. farmland is not an entirely new concept, Chinese investment in American farmland increased by an astounding 1900% from 2010-2021, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates the CCP owned at least 384,000 acres of U.S. farmland by 2021. The CCP has made it clear they will do almost anything to spy on our country, and this dramatic increase in farmland acquisitions, especially near our military bases, poses a significant national security threat we can no longer ignore.

Giving our adversaries any insight into or control over our agricultural resources could have devastating implications for our food supply, which is why I am partnering with Senator John Barrasso, Senator Mike Braun (R-IN) and 15 of my colleagues in introducing the Protecting American Agriculture from Foreign Adversaries Act of 2024. This commonsense legislation will protect western agriculture producers from being taken over by our adversaries and helps shore up our food supply.

By putting in safety measures, like authorizing the Secretary of Agriculture to report both agricultural land transactions that involve foreign persons in China, North Korea, Russia or Iran and transactions that require reporting to the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States under the Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act, we can establish a transparent process that puts the safety of U.S. citizens and the critical resources they rely on first.

Food security is essential to national security, and I will continue to be a tireless advocate for our rural communities directly impacted by these concerning acquisitions.

Happy Trails,

This state work period, I enjoyed traveling across the Cowboy State to meet with the hardworking people of Wyoming and welcomed members of the Western Caucus to Wyoming to see firsthand how this administration’s woke policies are harming the west.

I was proud to join the Wyoming Livestock Roundup in Douglas to celebrate this year’s inductees Philip Ellis and Laurie Boner. For more than 30 years, the Wyoming Agriculture Hall of Fame has honored leaders in agriculture across the Cowboy State, and it was great to celebrate Philip and Laurie’s contributions to our ag industry.

For more than three years, the Biden-Harris administration has waged war on our western way of life with its radical climate change policies and land grabs. I was pleased to welcome Western Caucus members and staff to Wyoming to see the effects of this administration’s far-left policies firsthand. I also hosted a policy forum to identify commonsense solutions. During the trip, members and staff met with experts from around the Cowboy State and toured our national parks that are dealing with the consequences of this administration’s heavy-handed policies.

Back in Washington this week, Senator John Barrasso and I joined the McCollum family to honor Wyoming’s Lance Corporal (LCpl) Rylee McCollum and the other brave service members who lost their lives during the Biden-Harris administration’s botched withdrawal from Afghanistan at the Congressional Gold Medal ceremony. Wyoming will never forget LCpl McCollum’s service. I am thankful to have had the opportunity to be with the McCollum family on this somber occasion.

I enjoyed visiting with Wyoming Tribune Eagle Managing Editor Brian Martin to discuss the Journalism Competition and Preservation Act, which would protect local newspapers from Big Tech overreach.

This administration will stop at nothing to push its radical climate agenda on the people of Wyoming, including empowering far-left states like California to impose its own draconian emission standards on the state of Wyoming. It is time to eliminate California’s ability to abuse a waiver and legislate without any input from the majority of Americans which is why I am cosponsoring Senator Mike Lee’s (R-UT) Stop CARB Act to put California back in its place and shield the people of Wyoming from its ridiculous climate policies.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Community Facilities Guaranteed Loan Program provides loan guarantees to eligible lenders to develop essential community facilities in rural areas as defined as a public improvement, operated on a non-profit basis and needed for the orderly development of a rural community. Applications for this program are accepted through your local rural development office year-round. For more information, please click here.

For more than 20 years, Nicole Ostermiller, the Chief Operating Officer of Powell Valley Healthcare has provided exemplary care to patients and she was recently recognized for her outstanding care during the Wyoming Hospital Association’s annual meeting in Casper. Ostermiller received the Daniel J. Lex award for her commitment to providing high-quality long-term care and improving quality of life for patients under the hospital’s care. Join me in congratulating her on her service to our community and earning this well-deserved recognition!

Photo Courtesy of the Powell Tribune