The Republican Party of Texas (RPT) stands firmly against allowing foreign governments or entities with adversarial interests to own Texas land. This legislative priority, known as “Texas is Not for Sale,” seeks to ban the sale of Texas real estate and prohibit taxpayer funding and incentives to governments, entities, and proxies from countries like China, Iran, North Korea, and Russia, as well as individuals from these nations who are not U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents. This initiative aims to preserve Texas’s sovereignty, security, and economic independence.
Why “Texas is Not for Sale” Matters
Foreign ownership of U.S. land—especially by entities connected to governments with interests contrary to those of the United States—raises both national security and economic concerns. For Texas, which has a robust economy and significant agricultural and energy resources, preventing foreign ownership is crucial to maintaining control over essential industries, protecting private property rights, and ensuring that Texas remains a safe, secure place to live and do business.
Key Aspects of the “Texas is Not for Sale” Priority
The RPT platform emphasizes the need to:
- Ban Property Sales to Foreign Entities and Governments: Texas Republicans support legislation to prevent entities from China, Iran, North Korea, and Russia—or their proxies—from purchasing Texas property. This restriction would apply to government-controlled entities as well as individuals from these nations who are not U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents. The purpose is to prevent foreign influence in Texas’s economy and strategic assets, from farmlands to critical infrastructure.
- Stop Taxpayer-Funded Incentives: Under this priority, Texas would end the practice of using taxpayer dollars to incentivize or fund businesses linked to these nations. By discontinuing public subsidies, Texas can focus taxpayer resources on domestic enterprises while reducing the influence of potentially hostile foreign interests on state policies.
- Protect Critical Resources: Texas has a wealth of natural resources—oil, gas, agricultural land, and water sources—that are vital to the state’s prosperity and national security. The RPT argues that allowing adversarial countries to own or control these resources could jeopardize Texas’s economic independence and create undue foreign influence on key industries and infrastructure, including transportation, energy, and agriculture.
Ensuring Texas Sovereignty and Security
The “Texas is Not for Sale” initiative is about more than just preventing foreign ownership; it’s about preserving the independence and integrity of Texas. By limiting foreign ownership and influence, Texas can ensure that its resources and policies remain under the control of Texans, not foreign powers. This approach aligns with the broader RPT principle of protecting individual and state sovereignty, as outlined in the platform.
Keeping Texas for Texans
With this legislative priority, the RPT reaffirms its commitment to a secure, sovereign Texas. Preventing foreign ownership of land and resources and cutting taxpayer-funded incentives for foreign entities ensures that Texas remains a state where prosperity, safety, and freedom come first. “Texas is Not for Sale” sends a clear message: the Lone Star State’s land, resources, and values are not commodities on the global market—they belong to the people of Texas.
