{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/state-wide-support-for-rounds-amendment-to-ban-china-russia-north-korea-and-iran-from-buying-american-farmland-and-agricultural-businesses", "State-Wide Support for Rounds\u2019 Amendment to Ban China, Russia, North Korea and Iran from Buying American Farmland and Agricultural Businesses", "2023-08-16", "2023", "2023-08", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "Mike Rounds", "R000605", "www.rounds.senate.gov", "rounds", "https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "MITCHELL \u2013 The United States Senate overwhelmingly passed the Fiscal Year 2024 National Defense Authorization Act (FY24 NDAA) by a vote of 86-11 last month. The FY24 NDAA included an amendment offered by U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) that bans foreign adversaries from purchasing American farmland and agricultural businesses. Additionally, it would add the Secretary of Agriculture as an ex officio member of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States to consider agriculture needs when making determinations affecting our national security and require the president to submit a report to Congress on any waiver granted to a prohibited country. The next step in the passage of the FY24 NDAA is a conference committee that will iron out the differences between the House and the Senate versions.\n\nThe amendment, Rounds 813, has received wide support throughout the state and is endorsed by the South Dakota Corn Growers Association (SDCGA), South Dakota Farmers Union (SDFU), South Dakota Farm Bureau Federation (SDFBF), South Dakota Dairy Producers (SDDP), South Dakota Soybean Association (SDSA), South Dakota Cattlemen\u2019s Association, South Dakota Stockgrowers Association (SDSGA), R-CALF USA and South Dakota Pork Producers Council (SDPPC).\n\n\u201cThe South Dakota Corn Growers Association (SDCGA) strongly supports a federal response on issues with national security implications,\u201d said DaNita Murray, Executive Director for SDCGA. \u201cWe greatly appreciate Senator Rounds\u2019 efforts on foreign ownership of agland based upon his unique perspective sitting on both the U.S. Senate Committees on Armed Services as well as Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. It is important that the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture\u2019s role be elevated and enhanced and Amendment 813 is a step in the right direction to utilize the U.S. Department of Agriculture\u2019s unique knowledge about the needs of production agriculture and rural America.\u201d\n\n\u201cSDFU commends Senator Rounds for his work addressing this issue,\u201d said Doug Sombke, President of SDFU. \u201cIt is the federal government\u2019s duty to prohibit adversarial nations of the United States of America from purchasing farmland and having the secretary of agriculture as an ex officio member on the Committee on Foreign Investments in the U.S to consider agriculture needs for our national security is long overdue.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe South Dakota Farm Bureau Federation is grateful for Senator Rounds\u2019 leadership on this issue,\u201d said Scott VanderWal, President of SDFBF. \u201cRounds\u2019 efforts on the Senate Armed Services Committee have improved our country\u2019s national security. Banning foreign adversaries from purchasing farmland is one step in the right direction, and we appreciate the Senator\u2019s action in addressing this important matter.\u201d\n\n\u201cSouth Dakota Dairy Producers (SDDP) recognizes the view that food security is national security and applauds Senator Rounds work to ensure specific foreign adversaries will not be able to purchase farm land and thereby gain any competitive advantages surrounding United States agricultural resources,\u201d said Marv Post, Board Chairman of SDDP. \u201cSDDP also supports the Secretary of Agriculture being included in the oversight of foreign ag-related transactions as a common sense approach to ensure United States agriculture is represented in these decisions.\u201d\n\n\"The South Dakota Soybean Association supports Senator Rounds legislation governing foreign ownership of agricultural land and business that protects U.S. farmers, consumers, national security and economic interests,\u201d said Kevin Deinert, President of SDSA. \u201cWe recognize that national security is a federal responsibility and that this legislation will help to eliminate a patchwork of state interests.\u201d\n\n\u201cGiven the complexity of trade with international partners, there must be consistent policies among the states to ensure that existing and new import and export agreements are considered,\u201d said Eric Jennings, President of the South Dakota Cattlemen\u2019s Association. \u201cThe federal government is in the best position to oversee foreign ownership of ag land in the US. We appreciate Sen. Rounds for addressing this issue on a national level.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe South Dakota Stockgrowers Association commends the United States Senate for passing 91-7 Senator Rounds amendment, Rounds 813, that bans for sale of large-scale agricultural property to foreign entities,\u201d said Doris Lauing, Executive Director of SDSGA. \u201cThank you Senator Rounds for protecting our family farms and domestic farming operations by restricting agricultural land ownership. Any agricultural ground in the United States should be always considered when making determination affecting our national security as well as our livelihoods.\u201d\n\n\u201cWe are pleased with the Senate\u2019s passage of Senator Rounds\u2019 amendment to protect America\u2019s agricultural land and businesses from being appropriated by our adversaries, an action essential to ensuring long-term food security for United States citizens,\u201d said Bill Bullard, CEO of R-CALF USA.\n\n\u201cWe thank Senator Rounds for addressing concerns about adversarial nations such as China, Russia, Iran and North Korea from attempting to buy American agricultural land,\u201d said Adam Krause, President of the South Dakota Pork Producers Council. \u201cWe recognize the link between food security and national security, and support efforts that will allow South Dakota farm and ranch families to continue to do their work in helping feed our nation and our trading partners around the world.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T00:30:18Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/state-wide-support-for-rounds-amendment-to-ban-china-russia-north-korea-and-iran-from-buying-american-farmland-and-agricultural-businesses"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.8634269945323467, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}