WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Senator Rick Scott joined Senators Ted Budd and Tom Cotton to introduce the Military Installation Retail Security Act which will safeguard national security by prohibiting the Department of Defense (DOD) from authorizing, renewing, or extending long-term retail agreements with companies that are owned or controlled by foreign adversaries like Communist China, Russia, Iran, or North Korea. This bill will also strengthen oversight of commercial operations on U.S. military bases by requiring a comprehensive review of all retail establishments operating on military installations across the country to assess any ownership or operational ties to adversarial governments or regimes. Congressman Pat Harrigan is leading this effort in the House of Representatives.

Senator Rick Scott said, "Allowing companies controlled by our biggest foreign adversaries – like Communist China, Russia, and North Korea - to operate on U.S. military bases is a completely unacceptable threat to our national security that risks an enemy gaining sensitive personal and military data. The Military Installation Retail Security Act will close the loopholes that allow these bad actors to gain footholds within our military communities, ensuring that our military bases remain secure, and that foreign enemies aren’t profiting off our service members and their families. This should be common sense, and I urge my colleagues to support its quick passage.”

Senator Ted Budd said, “Our military readiness depends upon security and surveillance. Adversarial nations have no place owning and operating businesses on U.S. military bases, all the while gaining personal identification information of American citizens, just to turn a profit. That is why I am proud to introduce the Military Installation Retail Security Act, to close this loophole by taking targeted action to prevent malign actors from embedding themselves within our military communities where they can threaten our national security and exploit personal data.”

?

Senator Tom Cotton said, “We shouldn’t be allowing Chinese-affiliated companies in the United States, let alone on our military bases. This bill will ensure our adversaries can’t exploit our military.” 

Congressman Pat Harrigan said, “My team uncovered that GNC is fully owned by the Chinese Communist Party and operating more than 80 stores on U.S. military bases. That’s not just a problem; it’s a direct threat to our national security. We moved quickly to get a solution on the table and introduced the Military Installation Retail Security Act in the House. I’m glad to have Senator Budd step in to help drive this forward and make sure CCP-owned companies have zero place inside America’s military infrastructure.”

###