Carbondale Reporter

U.S. Representatives Mike Bost (IL-12) and Nikki Budzinski (IL-13) expressed concerns today regarding the recent acquisition of the Cahokia grain terminal by COFCO International Ltd, a Chinese state-run company. In a letter to U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, chair of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), Bost and Budzinski called for an immediate review of the acquisition to assess its implications for America’s national security and the region’s agricultural economy.

"China is attempting to buy up America’s commercial infrastructure and farmland at a breakneck pace. The economic and national security implications are far too great to allow that to happen,” said Bost. “This is an issue that should resonate with Republicans and Democrats alike. Rep. Budzinski and I are demanding a timely review of this transfer because federal officials need to understand how it will impact the safety and security of the American people, especially here in Southern Illinois.”

“As the Chinese Communist Party tries to strengthen its grip on the means of American agricultural production and commerce, we must push back,” said Budzinski. “Today, Congressman Mike Bost and I sent a letter to the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States raising our concerns about the Chinese government’s acquisition of the Cahokia Heights grain terminal. I urge the committee to take a serious look at the scope and implications this transaction could have on our national security and on the Heartland’s agricultural economy.”

A copy of Bost and Budzinski’s letter to Secretary Yellen is attached.