In a move aimed at strengthening U.S. agricultural security and protecting American growers, Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) introduced the United States Citrus Protection Act today, legislation that would prohibit the importation of commercially produced fresh citrus fruit from Communist China.
The bill, which is being championed in the House of Representatives by Congressman Greg Steube (R-FL), seeks to shield American citrus farmers from foreign exploitation, reduce reliance on hostile regimes, and preserve the integrity of domestic agriculture — particularly in Florida, one of the nation’s leading citrus producers.
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Senator Scott did not mince words in his announcement, calling China “an adversary to the United States” and blaming the regime for undermining American markets and threatening national security.
“Communist China is one of the greatest threats to our national security, economic security, food security, and American way of life,” Scott said. “For years, we’ve seen how China seeks global dominance and is willing to undermine our markets and destroy American businesses to do so.”
Scott cited the devastating spread of citrus greening — a plant disease that originated in China and has severely damaged Florida’s citrus industry — as a key motivator behind the bill.
The U.S. Citrus Protection Act follows Scott’s recent letter to Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, in which he praised the administration’s “America First” commitments to farming communities and urged continued efforts to protect domestic producers from foreign interference.
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In his letter, Scott emphasized the need for policies that put American growers first and called for stricter scrutiny of imports that do not meet U.S. food safety standards.
“This is a regime that doesn’t play by our rules, follow our safety standards, or have Americans’ best interests in mind,” he said.
Senator Scott also encouraged the American public to take a stand by rejecting products made in China and supporting U.S. producers.
“Every American can take a stand too — we can make the choice to STOP buying anything made in Communist China and instead support American growers, American jobs, and American products,” he said.
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