Lawmaker Aims To Bar Some Foreign-Owned Stores From Military Bases

Representative Pat Harrigan’s legislative proposal seeks to remove some foreign-owned stores from US military bases, highlighting crucial national security implications.

Key Insights

The proposal targets stores owned by China, Russia, Iran, or North Korea on military bases.
It necessitates a national security review for foreign-tied retailers on bases.
The proposal would ensure future contracts demand transparency and oversight.
Harrigan has expressed concerns that GNC’s ownership by Harbin Pharmaceutical Group poses security risks.
The CEO of GNC has denied that China has access to any of the company’s data and networks.

Harrigan’s Legislative Proposal

A legislative proposal put forth by US Representative Pat Harrigan aims to prohibit physical retail stores with ties to nations such as China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea from operating on American military bases. The underlying concern is the potential threat to national security posed by these foreign-controlled enterprises. Harrigan’s bill, titled House Resolution 2551 and known as the Military Installation Retail Security Act of 2025, includes terminating contracts with companies that misrepresent their foreign ownership and mandates a comprehensive national security review for any existing on-base retailers with foreign affiliates.

In addition, Harrigan’s plan requires all future retail agreements on military installations to uphold transparency and be subject to stringent oversight. GNC, a health supplement retailer, is particularly highlighted due to its ownership by China’s state-controlled Harbin Pharmaceutical Group. Harrigan asserts that GNC’s presence on military bases, with over 80 stores, presents a grave security threat due to potential data vulnerability.

House Armed Services Committee member Pat Harrigan has introduced legislation that essentially seeks to ban GNC from operating on military bases. https://t.co/EDob5fivL3

— Bloomberg Government (@BGOV) April 6, 2025

GNC’s Foreign Ownership and Security Questions

GNC Holdings, once a family-owned enterprise in Pittsburgh, became fully owned by Harbin Pharmaceutical Group after going bankrupt in 2020. The store’s operations on US military bases are criticized for circumventing federal contracting standards. Concerns have been raised about the possible exposure of personal data, spending patterns, and geolocation information to entities tied to the Chinese government. While Harrigan warns about the risks, GNC CEO Michael Costello insists that no personal data is shared with China.

“Our Chinese ownership sees no personal information and, in fact, they have zero access to our data and our networks,” Costello stated. “Nothing gets transferred to China in terms of personal information or other data.”

Call for Investigation

Harrigan has called for a Department of Defense investigation into China’s retail presence on US military bases and urges legislators to back his bill as it advances through Congress. The stores in question “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,” Hannigan said of his legislative effort.