GOP Sen. sounds alarm about national security risk posed by garlic from 'communist China'

Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) is sounding the alarm on communist garlic, The Cato Institute's Scott Lincicome pointed out Thursday.

The Republican sent a letter to Washington, D.C. secretary of commerce Gina Raimondo pointing out that the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 gives the Commerce Secretary the power to investigate imports that could be national security threats — and that garlic from China is one of them.

"I write to request such an investigation into imports from Communist China of all grades of garlic, whole or separated into constituent cloves, whether or not peeled, chilled, fresh, frozen, provisionally preserved or packed in water or other natural substance, and the threat they pose to U.S. national security," Scott wrote in his letter.

"Food safety and security is an existential emergency that poses grave threats to our national security, public health and economic prosperity."

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He doesn't give any specific security cause for concern from the bulbs.

The website Spices Inc and a report by USA Today says most of the garlic sold in the U.S. comes from China — more than 60%.

Of domestic garlic, The California Farmland Trust says that 90 percent of commercial garlic comes from that state.