Congressman Pat Harrigan Introduces Bill to Kick CCP-Controlled Retailers Off U.S. Military Bases

Contact: Lexi Kranich (814) 380-4408

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, Congressman Pat Harrigan (NC-10) introduced the Military Installation Retail Security Act, legislation to protect U.S. troops from hostile foreign influence by banning companies owned by adversarial nations from operating retail stores on U.S. military installations.

“Right now, a company owned by the Chinese Communist Party is operating over 80 stores on American military bases,” said Congressman Harrigan. “These stores are in a position to collect personal data from our troops, operate with almost no oversight, and answer directly to a hostile foreign government. That’s not just reckless, it’s a national security threat. My bill closes the loopholes and kicks these companies off our bases for good.”

GNC, a national supplement retailer, is 100% owned by China’s state-run Harbin Pharmaceutical Group and currently operates through long-term contracts with military exchanges like AAFES, NEXCOM, and MCX. These deals are exempt from federal contracting standards and ownership disclosures.

The Military Installation Retail Security Act will:

• Ban companies owned or controlled by China, Russia, Iran, or North Korea from operating physical storefronts on U.S. military installations
• Terminate existing contracts with companies that lied about foreign ownership
• Require national security reviews of existing on-base retailers with foreign ties
• Force transparency and oversight for future retail agreements on military bases

Congressman Harrigan is urging the Department of Defense to investigate the Chinese Communist Party’s retail presence on U.S. military bases and calling on his colleagues to cosponsor the bill to eliminate the threat and defend those who defend us.