ICYMI: Ernst Works to Counter China in Face of Biden Admin’s Weakness
The Iowa senator is combating the malign influence of the Chinese Communist Party in our farmland and Pentagon.
WASHINGTON – Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) is taking action to counter the increasing threat of China in our own backyard as the Biden administration continues to double down on its appeasement strategy toward the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
Ernst, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, is combating the CCP’s malign threat of buying up U.S. agricultural land near military bases and preventing any influence in U.S. national security.
Ernst on Blinken’s visit to China and Biden’s weakness on the world stage:
Click here to watch the full interview with Fox News’ Harris Faulkner.
“This is appeasement. We have seen this with this administration time and time again. We see an ever-increasingly aggressive China, and yet – what does the United States do about it? Absolutely nothing.”
“We have seen a spy balloon traverse the United States with no response. We see a spy base in Cuba – 90 miles from our shore. We see China purchasing ag land around one of our air base in North Dakota. What does the government do? Absolutely nothing under this weak American leadership.”
“China is our number one pacing threat. This administration needs to wake up to that.”
“It is extremely important that we know who is purchasing our farmland, because as we all know – food security is national security…We really have to get control of this situation before we sell out our own farmers here in the United States of America to our adversaries like China.”
Click here to watch the full interview with Fox Business’ Maria Bartiromo.
“We had Secretary Blinken in Beijing bowing down to the Chinese and making us look very weak on the world stage, but we have President Biden behind closed doors talking about President Xi as a dictator…Are we friends with the nation or are we adversaries? It’s hard to tell with this administration.”
“This administration refuses to push the Chinese on their nefarious deeds. In the Armed Services Committee, we will call China our number one pacing threat…they are our adversary.”
“The Chinese are purchasing land around military installations – it’s for nefarious purposes. If they are purchasing farmland across the United States, it could be because food security is national security. If they are controlling those food sources, whether it’s to feed their own population or whether it’s to take away food production here in the United States from our own citizens, we need to make sure we are in control of this situation.”
Ernst on her efforts to overhaul the system that has allowed foreign ownership of 37 million acres of U.S. farmland:
Earlier this week, Ernst introduced the bipartisan FARMLAND Act to overhaul the current system that has allowed this threat to American food security and national security.
NBC News: Democrat, Republican team to limit Chinese purchase of U.S. farmland
“A bipartisan pair of senators hope to limit China’s ability to purchase farmland in the U.S. and force the U.S. government to consider stripping some Chinese and foreign landowners of their real estate. In a statement, Sens. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, and Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., said they ‘are taking action as a response to reports of China threatening America’s food supply and posing an even greater national security risk by acquiring U.S. farmland near military installations.’
“The senators argue that current U.S. law does not provide enough oversight of which foreign entities are buying farmland and where they are purchasing large swaths of real estate.”
Ernst joined Newsmax to discuss her bill as a response to this national security threat:
Watch the full interview with Newsmax’s Rob Finnerty here.
Read more about the interview here or below.
“Ernst said that people woke up to the dangers emanating from Beijing, with the alarm bells particularly going off ‘when the Chinese bought land surrounding an Air Force base in North Dakota ... this is a national security risk, not only because they are purchasing land near sensitive areas, but it is also about our food. Food security is national security.’
“The senator said that ‘we need to make sure that we are monitoring who is in charge of our land and how it is purchased.’
“She explained that ‘this bill would bring the USDA into that process, as well as the FDA, and we'll have a publicly available database of all foreign land purchases, so we really have to radically overhaul the way we do business and we've got to wake up and watch what China is doing.’”
Des Moines Register: Joni Ernst wants stricter oversight of Chinese farmland owners in farm bill
The Gazette: Iowa’s Joni Ernst partners with Democrat to limit Chinese purchase of U.S. farmland
KMA Land: Ernst sounds alarm on Chinese U.S. ag land purchases
Ernst on work to prevent Chinese influence in the Pentagon:
Ernst also introduced the CONSULT Act to ensure those advising our military and Pentagon officials are not tied to our foreign adversaries, like China and Russia. The Daily Caller covered the introduction:
“Republican Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst introduced legislation Friday that would prevent the Department of Defense (DOD) from contracting with consulting firms that simultaneously advise the United States and countries of concern, such as Russia and China.’
“’This is a clear conflict of interest,’ Ernst added. ‘It’s past time we put safeguards in place to ensure no firms hired by the federal government are working simultaneously to support the agenda of our adversaries.’”
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