Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., delivers remarks. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)
Opponents of the bill, like the Humane Society of the U.S., argue it would effectively roll back nearly 1,000 local animal welfare laws that would create "the extreme confinement of egg-laying hens, baby veal calves and breeding pigs, while threatening other animal welfare laws, such as those dealing with cruel puppy mills and the slaughter of horses, dogs and cats for their meat, as well as wildlife trafficking."
Luna agreed.
"The EATS Act is simply a veiled attempt by these foreign-owned corporations to subvert the will of American voters, who chose to adopt a series of measures through ballot initiatives and state lawmaking to allow more space for animals raised for food production," Luna's letter states. "The EATS Act proposes to unwind these legitimately enacted animal housing standards, and the Chinese government, with its profound level of control of pig production in the United States, stands to reap a substantial benefit."
NEARLY 200 DEMS JOIN REPUBLICANS IN BLOCKING CHINA FROM BUYING RURAL LAND
Several GOP represenatives signed onto the letter with Luna: Matt Gaetz, Jeff Van Drew, Byron Donalds, Andy Biggs, Nancy Mace, Matt Rosendale, Marjorie Taylor Greene and Bob Good.
They wrote that they are "gravely concerned about infiltration of American pork production by foreign adversaries, principally the CCP."
Smithfield Foods, a Virginia-based pork producer, is wholly owned by the CCP, the letter notes, and controls nearly 26% of the U.S. pork market. The big meat producer also supports the EATS Act.
Bales of hay are stored under shelters at Al Dahra Farms Oct. 17, 2023, in the McMullen Valley in Wenden, Ariz. (AP Photo/John Locher)
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The report revealed the Department of Agriculture (USDA) has failed to consistently share timely data on foreign investments in U.S. agricultural land as required under the 1978 Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act (AFIDA). Further, Pentagon officials told investigators that USDA needs to regularly provide more up-to-date and specific AFIDA data, according to the report.
USDA's most recent data suggests that, as of 2021, foreign investment in U.S. agricultural land grew to approximately 40 million acres. Additionally, Chinese agricultural investment in the U.S. increased tenfold between 2009 and 2016 alone.
Fox News' Thomas Catenacci contributed to this report.
Jamie Joseph is a writer who covers politics. She leads Fox News Digital coverage of the Senate.
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