VIEWPOINT | Congressman Johnson a leader on protecting farmland and national security

Guest Column by Erin Tobin, former State Senator

South Dakotans work hard to protect our way of life, our liberties, and our privacy. We pride ourselves on the freedoms given to us by God, not government, freedoms enshrined in both the U.S. Constitution and our state constitution. We know these rights are not guaranteed without vigilance, and defending them requires authentic leadership. Congressman Dusty Johnson is one of those leaders, a tireless advocate for protecting our rights and way of life at both the state and national level.

In recent years, the Chinese Communist Party and other foreign adversaries have aggressively moved to buy American farmland, even targeting land near sensitive military installations.

The danger is real. Control over our agricultural resources means control over our food supply, our economy, and even our ability to defend ourselves. They’re not just after land; they want our seed genetics, fertilizer companies, intellectual property, and artificial intelligence capabilities. This is a deliberate, coordinated strategy to weaken America’s independence, and they do not care who they hurt along the way.