Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., told Newsmax Wednesday that "we’ve got to build up American production" of semiconductors so the U.S. is less reliant on communist China.
"I just got back from Korea, Japan and Taiwan last week and I met with business leaders, and one of the things we talked about was the semiconductor industry and the importance of making sure we're independent from communist China," the Florida Republican said on "Spicer & Co." "Communist China steals our technology; we know they're not our partner."
The Hill reported that the fate of a Senate bill that would provide incentives for American semiconductor manufacturing and allow domestic companies to compete with China is uncertain. That's because Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., aims to pass a party-line economic package to lower drug prices and raise taxes on high earners, while Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., is threatening to block the China-centric bill if Democrats move forward with a reconciliation bill.
Scott said that the bill is needed in light of Moscow's unprovoked invasion of its neighbor.
"We watched what happened with Russia invading Ukraine, so we've got to build up American production," the senator said. "The problem with this bill is that it has nothing to do with China.
"It's a total of actually $250 billion of spending [and] it has a whole bunch of Green New Deal in this thing right now," he continued. "I want to say, 'How do we get more semiconductor production in the United States of America?' This bill is not even close to doing anything like that. It's just wasteful government spending."
The former governor of Florida said he wants to support development projects that invest in America.
"So what I want to do is have real accountability," he said. "If an American company wants to put money in the game, in a state, actually commit to produce something, let's do something with him. But this just gives money to companies with no obligation to do anything."
When asked about President Joe Biden's recent sale of oil from the strategic oil reserve to China, Scott didn't mince words.
"Biden's incompetent," the Sunshine State senator said. "I mean, this is a guy who has no idea what he's doing.
"This is the craziest idea ever," he said of Biden's proposed transition to electric vehicles. "And what's the cost of even making these electric cars? Why doesn't somebody look at the overall picture and say, 'Let's become energy independent? Drive down the cost of oil and gas in our country, which would drive down the cost of food, clothes, housing — all these things.'"
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