On Thursday’s broadcast of NewsNation’s “The Hill,” Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) responded to a question on the prospect of relief or a bailout for farmers by saying that “we’ve got to do everything we can to help our farmers and help our citizens.” And “we’ve got to look at what’s necessary.”
Host Blake Burman asked, “So, as yourself, as your colleagues, as Washington considers this possible $200 billion package, whatever it may or may not look like, does there need to be some sort of relief, some sort of bailout for the farming community as well?”
Scott answered, “I think we’ve got to do everything we can to help our farmers and help our citizens. No one wants to see gas prices up. This is devastating to any family, especially a poor family like mine was growing up. So, we’ve got to do everything we can to keep energy prices as low as possible, knowing we do have to protect our freedom, and we’ve got to do two things at once, how do we keep energy prices as low as possible, knowing, when this is over, energy prices will come down, when Venezuela creates a democracy, we’ll get more oil and gas out of Venezuela. So, I believe that, long-term, this is going to pay off. But, short-term, it’s going to be tough.”
Burman then cut in to ask, “Where does the line stop, Senator? Where does the line stop? Like, if you talk about the ag. community and the farmers, Republicans traditionally don’t like to pick winners and losers. So, where does the line stop when you talk about maybe there’s a big package, and we help this group and not that group?”
Scott answered, “Well, I think we’ve got to look at what’s necessary. And we — look, we have to have American production of food and products. So, we’ve got to — we always have to continue to help make sure we have all the resources here. That’s why I tell everybody, build [the] American free enterprise system. It’s the most important thing we do is have jobs in this country, that create products in this country, and that we are never dependent on anybody else. Stop buying anything from our enemies. … Buy American and help us build our free enterprise system so we’re not dependent on the rest of the world.”
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