Washington D.C. U.S. Senator Katie Britt (R-Ala.) today applauded a new rule issued by the U.S. Department of Treasury aimed at enhancing oversight of foreign real estate transactions near sensitive American military, intelligence, and laboratory sites. She also renewed her call for the Senate to pass the Protect Our Bases Act, a bipartisan bill she introduced with Senator Tim Scott (R-S.C.), to further strengthen protections for these strategic locations.
The Treasury’s finalized rule mandates that the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), which reviews foreign investments for potential national security risks, examine transactions within a 1-mile radius of 40 military sites and a 100-mile radius of 27 additional sites. The updated review process includes military installations in Alabama, such as Anniston Army Depot, Fort Novosel, Maxwell Air Force Base, and Redstone Arsenal. Developed in coordination with the Department of Defense, the rule incorporates elements from the proposed Protect Our Bases Act.
Senator Britt underscored the importance of the Treasury rule while emphasizing the need for Congress to codify additional safeguards through her proposed legislation, stating, “Our national security is paramount, and that requires safeguarding our military installations and other sensitive sites from adversaries, like Communist China, Iran, and Russia. Treasury’s rule is a step in the right direction, but the Senate must expeditiously pass the Protect Our Bases Act to strengthen long-term protections.”
The Protect Our Bases Act would expand upon the Treasury rule by directing CFIUS to annually update and review the list of sites under its protection. This ongoing review would help close potential gaps in oversight by ensuring that sensitive sites are consistently identified and monitored for security risks related to foreign investments.
Concerns over foreign investment near sensitive locations came to the forefront in 2022 when Fufeng Group, a Chinese company with ties to the Chinese Communist Party, sought to acquire land near Grand Forks Air Force Base in North Dakota. CFIUS was unable to evaluate the deal because the Department of Defense had not designated the base as a sensitive national security site. The purchase was ultimately blocked by local authorities, but the situation highlighted weaknesses in the system for identifying and protecting critical U.S. infrastructure from foreign interference.
Since her election, Senator Britt has been vocal on legislation aimed at countering potential security threats from foreign entities. She cosponsored the Foreign Adversary Risk Management (FARM) Act, introduced by Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), to address risks associated with foreign ownership of American farmland. She also joined Senator Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) in introducing the Not One More Inch or Acre Act, aimed at preventing Chinese ownership of U.S. land. Additionally, her amendment to the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2024 provides funding for the Department of Agriculture to establish a system for tracking and disclosing foreign investment in American farmland.
Advocates of the Protect Our Bases Act argue that expanding CFIUS oversight is crucial in an era of growing geopolitical competition. If passed, the act would require CFIUS to routinely update the inventory of protected sites, improving its ability to assess foreign land transactions that could impact U.S. security.
Senator Britt concluded by urging her colleagues to support the legislation, saying, “At a time when we live in an increasingly dangerous world with adversaries ready to take advantage of any American weakness, there is no time to waste.”
