Senator Ted Cruz
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee today reintroduced the Protecting Military Installations and Ranges Act, a bill to stop adversaries from acquiring land near military bases, and military areas, which puts our military and national security at risk. The legislation is cosponsored by Sens. Schmitt (R-Mo.), Braun (R-Ind.), Rubio (R-Fla.), Daines (R-MT), and Tuberville (R-AL). This legislation targets efforts by hostile actors from China – as well as Russia, Iran, or North Korea – to acquire U.S. land close to U.S. military installation or areas. It will also empower the Department of Defense (DOD) to prevent construction on any site under federal investigation.
Sen. Cruz previously introduced this bill in April of 2021. In June 2020, Sen. Cruz introduced a similar amendment to the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). This amendment empowered the DOD’s Siting Clearinghouse to conduct a more thorough review of wind farm construction near military installations in reaction to a growing number of Chinese-owned wind farms disrupting operations on South and West Texas military training routes.
Upon introduction of this bill, Sen. Cruz said:
“I’m proud to help secure our national security interests with this common sense bill to safeguard our infrastructure and instillations against governments and regimes that threaten the United States. The espionage threat posed by the Chinese Communist Party is acute, persistent, and has repeatedly endangered the safety and security of Texans and indeed all Americans. The CCP cannot be allowed to expand those efforts by purchasing land near installations that are integral to our national security.”
Read the full text of their bill here.