Senator Roger Marshall, US Senator for Kansas | Official U.S. House headshot
Senator Roger Marshall, US Senator for Kansas | Official U.S. House headshot
U.S. Senator Roger Marshall of Kansas spoke on Tuesday at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) during the unveiling of the National Farm Security Action Plan, an initiative designed to protect American agriculture from foreign threats, particularly China. The event brought together Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Attorney General Pam Bondi, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, several governors, and other members of Congress.
During his remarks, Marshall emphasized the importance of agricultural security for national defense and economic stability. He stated: “Well, good morning, everybody. America’s abundant food supply is not guaranteed. It’s a strategic asset we must fiercely protect. Farm and ranch security is national security, and I’m proud today to share how Kansas is at the heart of this mission. Today, we tell China to get the hell out of American agriculture. Today, China, here’s your ticket, do not pass go. Get the hell out of American agriculture, and the Trump administration is going to lead the way.”
Marshall expressed appreciation for USDA leadership and former President Donald Trump’s administration: “Now, I want to start by just thanking Secretary Rollins, and maybe we can help you get some Angus cattle someday for your farm. But I do want to say thank Secretary Rollins, and President Trump, and his administration, for his unwavering commitment to our farmers, our ranchers, and rural America. The big reconciliation bill we just passed exemplifies this support. It strengthened the farm safety net, including increased reference prices, it makes key business tax deductions permanent, and doubles the estate tax exemption up to $30 million for couples, and streamlines the 45Z tax credit. Folks, 45Z is going to do more for agriculture than all the soybeans and sorghum we sold to China in the past five years.”
He continued: “This bill empowers our agriculture communities and secures our family farms for generations to come. Now as a fifth-generation farm kid I learned how agriculture underpins our economic stability, our public health, our national defense…our geopolitical autonomy…and our rural way of life.”
Marshall highlighted that U.S. agriculture contributes $1.5 trillion annually to GDP and supports over 22 million jobs but faces ongoing threats such as bioterrorism and foreign ownership.
He described Kansas’ role in agricultural research through its Animal Health Corridor running from Columbia Missouri through Manhattan Kansas to Lincoln Nebraska—a region known for innovation in animal health—and referenced federal research facilities located in Kansas City and Manhattan.
Marshall said: “Let me share how Kansas is leading the fight... And why in the world would we let scientists from foreign adversaries in those experiments and in those laboratories? I’ll never know...”
He also called attention to land owned by Chinese interests near sensitive military installations like Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri and Fort Riley in Kansas.
Marshall advocated adding the Secretary of Agriculture as a member of CFIUS (Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States), saying: “We need someone who thinks of agriculture when they wake up in the morning...and they think of agriculture as national security.”
The event underscored calls for stronger protections against foreign investment—especially from China—in U.S. farmland holdings.
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