Jefferson Reporter

U.S. Senator Katie Britt has expressed support for a new rule by the U.S. Department of Treasury and called on the Senate to pass the Protect Our Bases Act, aimed at enhancing protections for military, intelligence, and national laboratory sites in the United States.

The Treasury's finalized rule mandates that the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) review foreign real estate transactions within specific proximities to military sites. This includes a 1-mile radius around 40 sites and a 100-mile radius around 27 others. In Alabama, affected locations include Anniston Army Depot, Fort Novosel, Maxwell Air Force Base, and Redstone Arsenal. The rule was proposed in July and coordinated with the Department of Defense.

Senator Britt introduced the Protect Our Bases Act alongside Senator Tim Scott. This legislation aims to provide stronger protections than those outlined in Treasury’s rule by requiring CFIUS member agencies to update their lists of sensitive sites annually.

"Our national security is paramount, and that requires safeguarding our military installations and other sensitive sites from adversaries, like Communist China, Iran, and Russia," said Senator Britt. "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 necessity for such measures was highlighted by an incident in 2022 when Fufeng Group planned to purchase land near Grand Forks Air Force Base in North Dakota. CFIUS could not assess this transaction due to its reliance on outdated site listings provided by member agencies.

Since her tenure began, Senator Britt has backed various legislative efforts against foreign adversaries. She co-sponsored the Foreign Adversary Risk Management (FARM) Act with Senator Tommy Tuberville and introduced legislation preventing Chinese entities from owning American land with Senator Tom Cotton. Additionally, she sponsored an amendment included in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2024 for tracking foreign investment in American farmland.