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Congressional Letters
Semiconductor CEOs questioned by Select Committee on China activity

Semiconductor CEOs questioned by Select Committee on China activity

Last week, the U.S. House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party sent detailed inquiries to semiconductor manufacturing equipment CEOs about their activity in China. The letters included numerous questions on revenue, customer lists, compliance teams, and more. Details, letters inside.

Group of 21 Congressional leaders push Mexico on connected vehicles

Group of 21 Congressional leaders push Mexico on connected vehicles

Two weeks ago, the BIS proposed a rule addressing national security risks from Chinese hardware and software in automobiles. Now, a bipartisan group of Congressional leaders has sent a letter to Mexico’s new president, urging her to address the security threat posed by Chinese connected vehicles.

Lawmakers want CFIUS review of Chinese ownership of grain facility

Lawmakers want CFIUS review of Chinese ownership of grain facility

Two U.S. Representatives from Illinois have written a letter to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen asking that CFIUS review the acquisition of a grain terminal by one of China’s largest state-run food and agriculture companies. According to the letter, the firm now owns six locations across the U.S.

Congressional letters to Treasury seek action on foreign transactions

Congressional letters to Treasury seek action on foreign transactions

Last week, Congressional leaders from Kansas and Montana sent letters to the Biden Administration requesting that CFIUS review specific transactions in their states. Both deals involved investors or corporations tied to the Chinese Communist Party. Details, the letters, and context are inside.

Senators question whether foreign governments are skirting CFIUS

Senators question whether foreign governments are skirting CFIUS

The ranking members of three high-profile Senate finance and budget committees have sent an oversight inquiry to U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen that raised concerns about how foreign governments could be skirting the CFIUS review process. Details and a copy of the letter are inside.

House Select Committee gets active: Investigation, subpoena, letter, more

House Select Committee gets active: Investigation, subpoena, letter, more

The House Select Committee has been busy. Last week alone, they held a “field hearing” in New York; disclosed an investigation into Wall Street firms; issued a subpoena regarding an unlicensed California lab; and penned a letter to Treasury Secretary Yellen regarding Gotion. Details inside.

U.S. Senator pens letters to Justice, State, SEC, Commerce on Ford deal

U.S. Senator pens letters to Justice, State, SEC, Commerce on Ford deal

It’s not uncommon for U.S. Congressional leaders to send letters to the Treasury Secretary, urging that CFIUS review a particular transaction. But its rare letters also get sent to the Departments of Justice, Commerce, State, the SEC, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Until now. Details, letters inside.

SVB and CFIUS: Is the Committee already on top of the bank failures?

SVB and CFIUS: Is the Committee already on top of the bank failures?

Experts say the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank has raised important questions regarding foreign investment and national security. Among them: Might SVB assets, or even FDIC rescue capital, end up in the hands of entities controlled by the People’s Republic of China? Insights inside.

Latest letter to Treasury Secretary Yellen regards semiconductor deal

Latest letter to Treasury Secretary Yellen regards semiconductor deal

As readers know, we try to track all letters sent by Congressional leaders to the Treasury Secretary regarding foreign investments. The latest communique, from a pair of outspoken U.S. Congressmen, involves a pending Chinese investment in GEO Semiconductor. Details inside.

Senator wants Twitter probe by CFIUS. Does it have jurisdiction?

Senator wants Twitter probe by CFIUS. Does it have jurisdiction?

In a letter to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) urged CFIUS “to immediately conduct a review” of changes to Twitter’s ownership, including the stake held by Saudi Arabia. But experts say CFIUS may not have jurisdiction. Insights and the letter are inside.

Republicans ask GAO to look at foreign investment in U.S. farms

Republicans ask GAO to look at foreign investment in U.S. farms

Citing “inaccuracies” in foreign investment data collected by the Department of Agriculture, more than 100 U.S. House Republicans have asked the Government Accountability Office to study foreign investment in U.S. farmland, and its impact on national security. Details and the letter are inside.

Congressional leaders speaking out on outbound investment reviews

Congressional leaders speaking out on outbound investment reviews

Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-NC), Ranking Member on the House Financial Services Committee, is the latest to chime in on national-security reviews of outbound investments, urging the Biden Administration to avoid resorting to “unilateral measures.” Details, the letter, and others are inside.

Ex-CFIUS, BIS heads push back on outbound screening proposal

Ex-CFIUS, BIS heads push back on outbound screening proposal

In a letter to the chair of the Senate Banking Committee, three former national security officials have registered their concerns about the proposed Committee on National Critical Capabilities, which would oversee an “outbound” investment screening regime. Details and the letter are inside.

Senators call for review of farm-land purchase in North Dakota

Senators call for review of farm-land purchase in North Dakota

Two weeks ago, we noted in our downloadable spreadsheet of CFIUS disclosures that the Committee was “apparently interested” in real-estate acquisitions by Fufeng Group in Grand Forks, North Dakota. Now, a group of U.S. Senators has crafted a letter making sure it’s a priority.

U.S. Senators send demand letter to Janet Yellen regarding TikTok

U.S. Senators send demand letter to Janet Yellen regarding TikTok

A group of Republican Senators has delivered a very demanding letter to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen seeking answers regarding the Biden administration’s “delayed response” to the national security and privacy risks posed by TikTok. Details, the letter, context, and more are inside.

Have inquiries from Congressmen on CFIUS gotten more demanding?

Have inquiries from Congressmen on CFIUS gotten more demanding?

U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has received another CFIUS-related inquiry from a U.S. Congressman. But the latest letter seems a little more demanding than usual, asking whether a declaration was filed regarding a specific transaction, and seeking related information. Details inside.

U.S. Senators send another CFIUS letter to Treasury Secretary Yellen

U.S. Senators send another CFIUS letter to Treasury Secretary Yellen

A group of U.S. Senators has sent a letter to U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, urging her to have CFIUS conduct a review of a particular transaction. This isn’t the first time this has happened. Details, precedent, the letter, and insights on how it will be received by Sec. Yellen are inside.

Congressional leaders ask Pres. Biden to push UK on Chinese deal

Congressional leaders ask Pres. Biden to push UK on Chinese deal

Congressional leaders want the UK government to prevent the sale of a British semiconductor facility to a Chinese-controlled company. In a letter to Pres. Biden, the group urges action, threatening to revoke the UK’s “excepted foreign state” status with CFIUS. Details and letter inside.

Federal Maritime Commissioners want CFIUS to review port deal

Federal Maritime Commissioners want CFIUS to review port deal

In a recent letter to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, two Federal Maritime Commissioners have requested that CFIUS review the national security implications of a bid for Ports America by a Canadian pension fund. Details, the letter, contacts, and context are inside.