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Feenstra introduces Defend America’s Rural Energy Act

Another bill has been introduced in the U.S. House to curtail foreign ownership of farmland.

Iowa Republican Randy Feenstra says his Defend America’s Rural Energy Act is an amendment to a broader energy bill.

“We don’t want our foreign adversaries to buy our land, but you just can’t say that. But we can say that we want energy independence and we don’t want them to buy our energy.”

He tells Brownfield if a foreign entity buys farmland in the Midwest, that’s energy being lost.

“Because we know corn and soybeans are part of the biodiesel and ethanol production. So what this bill does is any land that supports energy production cannot be sold to our foreign adversaries like China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea.”

Feenstra says the U.S. cannot let its guard down when it comes to defending the rural energy sector and the nation’s energy security from foreign influence.