Bipartisan Amendment Passes to Prohibit China Purchasing U.S. Farmland

In a rare bipartisan vote last week, the U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly expressed support for legislation banning Chinese ownership of U.S. farmland. In a vote of 407-26, representatives agreed to add language to a massive energy bill that prohibits the Chinese government or any affiliated party from buying interest in U.S. farmland or other land used to produce renewable energy.

While the highly contested energy bill likely won’t move progress, the bipartisan effort on the farmland component suggests lawmakers could move for a separate bill or add similar language to the upcoming farm bill. Iowa’s 4th congressional district representative Randy Feenstra led the charge for the amendment, citing the importance of American ethanol and biodiesel production. Attention on the Chinese Communist Party comes after the last year of eyebrow-raising purchases from the Chinese government of 370 acres of land in North Dakota purchased near a U.S. Air Force Base.

Read more on the amendment to the energy bill involving the sale of U.S. farmland here.