Washington, DC—October 3, 2022....Congressman Steve Womack (AR-3) today joined House Agriculture Committee Ranking Member Glenn "GT" Thompson (PA-15), House Oversight and Reform Committee Ranking Member James Comer (KY-1), and other members in sending a letter to Comptroller General Gene Dodaro of the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO). The lawmakers requested a study regarding foreign investment in U.S. farmland and its impact on national security, trade, and food security.

“With the top farm income producing counties in Arkansas’s Third District, it is well known that production agriculture is vital to the state’s economy,” said Rep. Womack. “America shouldn’t be ceding control of something so essential to foreign adversaries. We saw how reliance on China compounded supply chain issues, and it’s not smart to exacerbate those vulnerabilities. Every safeguard should be in place to protect our farmlands and agriculture production.”

"Foreign ownership and investment in U.S. agricultural land has nearly doubled in the past decade. This growing trend has elevated concerns regarding national security in a time of uncertainty that is already compounded by challenges to our supply chain infrastructure, high input costs for farmers, and geopolitical pressures," said Rep. Thompson. "It is critical for Congress to have a thorough understanding of foreign investment in our nation’s agricultural land."

"China’s ownership of U.S. farmland is a threat to our food security and national security. An affordable, reliable food supply is critical to our nation’s well-being and prosperity and we must ensure America maintains control of our nation’s resources," said Rep. Comer. "We are calling on the Government Accountability Office to report on the scope of this threat to our food supply to inform Congress how we can best protect the security of the American people. Americans need transparency about the federal government’s efforts to address this growing problem."

Read the full letter here.

Congressman Steve Womack (AR-3) has represented Arkansas’s Third Congressional District since 2011. He is a member of the House Appropriations Committee.

womack.house.gov

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