(RepublicanView.org) – The U.S. Treasury Department has announced its intention to expand its jurisdiction over land purchases near military bases. The U.S. Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) will add 56 additional sites to its remit, raising the total to 227. CFIUS reviews foreign corporate transactions in the US to ensure they do not present national security risks.
The committee comprises representatives from the Departments of State, Justice, Energy, and Commerce, and in 2018, Congress passed legislation granting it the authority to evaluate property purchases near sensitive sites across the United States.
CFIUS’ expansion comes amid growing unease about land acquisitions, prompting several states to introduce legislation barring such purchases.
Last year, for instance, Florida’s Governor Ron DeSantis signed legislation restricting the ability of citizens from countries of “concern” to buy land in the Sunshine State.
Similarly, this year, Georgia Governor Brian Kemp signed legislation restricting land acquisitions by certain citizens of any country the federal government has designated a foreign adversary. “Georgia will do everything in our power to prevent bad actors from threatening our national security,” Kemp said. The law prevents the purchase of farmland or commercial land near military property by an “agent” of China.
The legislation did not pass without opposition, however, and members of the Georgia Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders legislative caucus accused Republican backers of racial discrimination.
Cynthia Choi, co-founder of Stop AAPI Hate, said her organization would fight nationwide bans on foreign purchases, saying they “label our communities as untrustworthy.”
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