To confront China and protect American industry from its globalist ambitions, it was necessary to oppose legislation that would increase China’s control over our economic interests.This is what I call Repeal of the Agricultural Trade Suppression (EATS) Act, HR 4417/S. 2019 was led by Rep. Ashley Hinson (R-Iowa) and Senator Roger Marshall (R-Kansas).

Already facing opposition since its introduction, they must find their proposals grotesquely offensive to American farmers, state advocates and experts on the Chinese threat. . In short, EATS would prohibit states from setting agricultural sourcing policies that would help farmers and communities, would clean up existing state laws and allow foreign companies to acquire U.S. agricultural assets more quickly. .

However, there are still risks such as: carve out That’s because the pork industry could be sneaked into farm bills to help the “largest pork producers.” But the largest US pork producer is Smithfield, a Chinese-owned company with operations in the US mainland. The CCP regularly meddles in Chinese companies thanks to the blending of civilian, military and political sectors, as seen on ByteDance and TikTok. Smithfield is 100% owned by a Chinese company, Worried MPs under the influence of the Chinese Communist Party.

If Congress passes any version of the EATS Act included in the Farm Bill later this year, Rep. Hinson and Sen. Marshall, whether they’re aware of it or not, will sacrifice U.S. agriculture. This would create a significant advantage for China’s goal of further controlling U.S. agriculture. Family owned farmer and rancher. Doing this creates a regulatory vacuum that exposes U.S. farmers and ranchers to the uncontrolled expansion of foreign companies, especially China and Chinese-owned companies. This misguided effort represents a dangerous erosion of American sovereignty and economic independence.

Given a free pass to circumvent state laws, China will gain even more control over the pork sector, endangering our food production system, supply chains and even national security.

What about this? Compare two pork companies operating in the United States. Chinese owned Smithfield And then Pennsylvania-based Clemens Food Group.

China/Smithfield is on record to oppose state laws and support lawsuits to overturn laws that set minimum standards for pork production.This is to be expected given that Chinese pork companies are building huge factories. China’s 26-story pig farm skyscraper, you can work in a rule-free environment. The EATS law threatens to bring China’s rule-free environment to our country.

Pennsylvania’s Clemens Food Group, on the other hand, is US-owned. They have operations in rural Pennsylvania, as well as Michigan and Ohio, and have already transitioned farms to meet state food safety and animal husbandry laws. They proudly advertise that their products comply with the highest standards. They clearly see these American farmer-friendly laws as a market advantage over Chinese competition, and oppose this Chinese race to the bottom.

Rep. Glenn Thompson (R-Pennsylvania), chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, is leading the drafting of the 2023 House Farm Bill, along with Senator John Boozman (R-Arkansas), a leading member of the Senate. ing. We know there are many issues that must be balanced as they lead this work. As for the most dangerous possible additions to this bill, I hope Mr. Thompson and Mr. Boozman will choose the United States over China and reject the possibility of pork carving in the EATS Act. (The previously defeated iteration of the EATS Act was also strongly opposed by both Republicans and Democrats, and the early Farm Bill nearly sank.)

To protect our agricultural heritage, food security, and success against foreign adversaries, we must reject the EATS Act and the pork spin-offs it stems from. No farm bill passed in the 118th Congress would be a better outcome for conservative values ​​and rural America than passing an EATS or similar farm bill with pork carving. .

Margaret Iukurano is the Executive Vice President of FreedomWorks.

The views and opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and do not reflect the official position of The Daily Caller.