Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., announced March 17 that he has reintroduced a bill to require the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. to review agricultural land purchases by certain foreign entities, including those from China and Russia. The Security and Oversight for International Landholdings Act also would broaden disclosure requirements for foreign purchases of U.S. farmland. The bill, which Lankford originally introduced in the last Congress, was referred to the Senate Agriculture Committee.
Rep. Brandon Gill, R-Texas, introduced a bill March 14 that would subject foreign buyers of U.S. farmland to the same restrictions that their home countries impose on Americans.
Arkansas’ six-member congressional delegation urged the EU March 14 to revise its proposed deforestation reporting requirements (see 2412060050), saying they would unfairly burden U.S. exporters with technical barriers to trade.
The Senate Finance Committee voted 14-13 along party lines March 14 to approve Michael Faulkender as deputy treasury secretary, sending his nomination to the full Senate for its consideration. The vote came eight days after Faulkender testified before the committee on his nomination (see 2503060069). Faulkender was assistant treasury secretary for economic policy during the first Trump administration.
A bipartisan group of nine lawmakers urged the State Department on March 12 to increase sanctions, including financial restrictions, on Bosnian Serb Republic President Milorad Dodik and his “enablers” for continuing to promote secession from Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, said March 14 that he hopes the full Senate will consider his bill to restrict outbound investment in China “in the next few weeks.”
Two Democrats and two Republicans in the Senate asked the administration to press Canada on changing how it administers tariff rate quotas for U.S. dairy exports as it approaches a renegotiation.
Rep. Keith Self, R-Texas, reintroduced a bill March 10 aimed at giving Congress more oversight over administration actions to ease sanctions on Iran.
Senate Foreign Relations Committee ranking member Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., announced March 12 that she won't seek reelection to a fourth Senate term in 2026. “It’s just time,” said Shaheen, 78. Her recent efforts have included advocating for sanctions in response to the Republic of Georgia’s crackdown on political dissent (see 2412020009). She also has proposed legislation that could lead to sanctions on Chinese entities that finance the fentanyl trade (see 2503100016).
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee voted 16-6 on March 12 to approve Christopher Landau to be deputy secretary of state, sending the nomination to the full Senate for its consideration. At a March 4 hearing, the former U.S. ambassador to Mexico told the committee that the State Department should play a greater role in opening new markets for U.S. exports and attracting foreign investment to the U.S. (see 2503040038).