Chairman Strong: “The Importance of Our Nation’s Agricultural Assets to Both Our Economy and National Security Cannot be Overstated”

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Rep. Dale Strong (R-AL), chairman of the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Emergency Management and Technology, delivered the following opening statement in a hearing to examine the threats adversaries could pose to U.S. agriculture and America's food supply.

Watch Chairman Strong's full opening statement in a hearing entitled, "Surveying the Threat of Agroterrorism: Perspectives on Food, Agriculture, and Veterinary Defense."

As prepared for delivery:

Good afternoon, and thank you for joining us.

Today, this subcommittee is meeting to discuss the threats posed by agroterrorism and other malicious actors who seek to harm America's food and agriculture sector.

The importance of our nation's agricultural assets to both our economy and national security cannot be overstated.

Agroterrorists who use biological agents and other means to disrupt our food supply chain can find success in generating mass fear, instability, and economic damage.

This makes our agriculture a tempting target for hostile actors.

Just earlier this year, the DOJ charged three Chinese nationals with trying to smuggle hazardous biological materials into the United States - materials that could have threatened the health of our crops and livestock.

These Chinese nationals intended to conduct further research on the biological materials at a University of Michigan laboratory.

That raises serious questions - about the risks of modifying dangerous pathogens, and about the strength of security measures protecting research conducted within our universities and laboratories.

While CBP agents were able to successfully detect and interdict the undeclared biological materials, this incident demonstrates the vital importance of food safety and security as a part of our homeland security operations.

Unfortunately, these incidents are just the latest development in an ongoing trend of foreign and malign interest in U.S. agriculture.

The risks we face aren't limited to just the intentional introduction of biological threats.

More and more, the food and agriculture industries have incorporated automation and digital technologies to improve the efficiency of farming.

But as the farming industry continues to increase its use of these technologies, it becomes more vulnerable to cyberattacks, potentially jeopardizing the entire supply chain.

Rogue actors have also attempted to breach our agriculture sector from within.

A GAO study from January of last year confirmed that foreign ownership of U.S. farmland has been steadily increasing over the course of decades.

And there is growing concern that groups affiliated with the PRC will continue to seek the purchase of farmland near and around U.S. military bases and installations.

That's why I'm proud to have sponsored the "Protecting America's Agricultural Land from Foreign Harm Act of 2025."

This bill would prohibit people tied to the governments of Iran, North Korea, China, or Russia from purchasing or leasing agricultural land in the United States.

It's a common-sense step to protect our food supply and prevent foreign adversaries from using our farmland as a base for operations that threaten our homeland security.

I hope that the relevant Committees of jurisdiction can take up the bill soon.

I also commend President Trump and his Administration for standing up the National Farm Security Action Plan, which brings together USDA, DHS, the Department of War, and other federal agencies.

This initiative has the potential to revolutionize the integration of agricultural security into national security, and I strongly support it.

Today, we are fortunate to have a panel of experts who can testify to the nature and severity of the threat that terrorists and other malicious actors can pose to our agriculture.

I look forward to hearing their perspectives on what else Congress and the federal government can do to protect our farmland and our food supply chains from these bad actors.

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