Lawmaker voices concerns following "irresponsible punt" on CFIUS review of Grand Forks corn processing plant

(Grand Forks, ND) -- A U.S Senator is sharing disapproval and asking for more clarity following the end of a review into a proposed corn processing plant looking to be built in Grand Forks. 

U.S Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) voiced his concerns to WDAY Radio following the Committee on Foreign Investments in the United States (CFIUS) saying they did not have jurisdiction to review the purchase of farmland near Grand Forks Air Force Base. The land was purchased by Fufeng, a Chinese company with ties to the Chinese Communist Party, and is intended to be transformed into a corn processing plant. 

When asked about CFIUS's statement on not having the proper authority to investigate the purchase of farmland, Cramer said "I always knew that was a possibility, although I would have thought that three months ago when they started the review not three months later when they are ending the review. Generally you would make that jurisdictional point before you went through all the trouble of reviewing it."

Cramer and fellow U.S Senator John Hoeven (R-ND) have made comments on the CFIUS review in the past, calling for additional clarity amid claims of potential surveillance of the U.S Air Force Base. Previous reporting on Fufeng's proposed corn processing plant can be found by clicking here.