FLORIDA AGRICULTURE GROUPS
Florida Agriculture groups supporting Senator Scott include:
- Florida Citrus Mutual
- Florida Forestry Association
- Cedar Key Aquaculture Association
Senator Rick Scott said, “It’s a great honor to be endorsed by Commissioner Wilton Simpson, Congresswoman Lee, Senator Jay Collins, Florida Representative Danny Alvarez, Plant City Commissioner Jason Jones and Hillsborough Commissioner Mike Owens. I’m also honored to have the support of so many statewide groups that represent the best agriculture industry in the world. In Florida, we lead the way when it comes to agriculture – a critical industry that provides good-paying jobs to hundreds of thousands of Floridians and fuels our state economy. In recent years, our great farmers, ranchers, and growers have faced numerous hardships, from citrus greening to natural disasters, and it’s imperative that we continue to do everything we can to ensure they have the resources they need to succeed.
“As Governor and now as Senator, my job is to fight to get bureaucracy out of the way and make sure our critical industries can thrive. Right now, Joe Biden and the Democrats in Washington are holding up critical aid for Florida farmers. I’m not going to stop fighting for common sense legislation, like my Block Grant Assistance Act and Hurricane Tax Relief Act, and for reforms to USDA disaster relief programs so they actually work for Florida and farmers across the nation. I am proud to be a partner in Washington for our farmers, growers and ranchers and I will never stop the fight Make Washington Work to support Florida’s agricultural industry and the many families and businesses who depend on its success.”
As Governor, Senator Scott:
- Worked with the state legislature to invest millions in state resources to prevent citrus greening.
- Worked to make sure the agriculture industry was able to recover through various interest-free emergency loans and state and federal funding after devastating natural disasters.
- Allocated $81 million to preserve over 50,000 acres of land for agricultural use.
As U.S. Senator, Rick Scott has and will continue to champion efforts to protect Florida’s farmers and ranchers.
Senator Scott will continue to:
- Aggressively fight to pass his Block Grant Assistance Act. This critical legislation provides authority for the USDA to issue block grants to Florida’s growers and devastated by recent natural disasters. The Democrats blocked this bill multiple times because it did not include funding for Ukraine. The Democrats continue to play politics with this urgently needed legislation, which is wrong.
- Fight to pass his Hurricane Tax Relief Act, which would provide disaster-loss tax relief to families in 51 Florida counties and Puerto Rico impacted by Hurricanes Ian, Nicole and Fiona.
- Fight for important measures in the Farm Bill that actually help Florida’s agriculture community but don’t add another layer of unnecessary bureaucracy from the federal government. Government has to get out of the way and allow agricultural industries to thrive.
- Reform USDA disaster relief programs to work for Florida.
- Fight for legislation that takes on China and protects American supply chains with his Foreign Adversary Risk Management (FARM) Act. This critical legislation will bring more oversight and scrutiny to foreign investment, support our national agriculture supply chain and enhance food security across the country.
- Lead the fight in the Senate to pass a ban on Communist China and other adversaries from buying U.S. farmland. Senator Scott’s Countering Corrupt Political Influence Act(CCP Influence Act) builds upon efforts by the Trump Administration and increases requirements of Chinese Communist Party officials in the U.S. conducting government business. Individuals and entities tied to the evil government of Communist China continue to buy American farmland, and Senator Scott will aggressively look at any and all actions to protect American interests.
- Demand the Department of Commerce terminate the 2019 suspension agreement and end Mexico’s tomato dumping, which is devasting Florida farmers and forcing them out of business.
- Fight the Democrats’ socialist agenda and tax increases that will kill the American dream and hurt family farms.
- Hold the Biden Administration, the Democrats, and the President accountable for their failure to support the agriculture industry.