Duval Times

U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) recently appeared on Kudlow to discuss issues surrounding federal regulation and the significance of trade policy that benefits America. Below are some key points from the discussion, with the full interview available on YouTube and Rumble.

On excessive federal regulation, Rubio commented: “What happens with these regulations is, as you know, Congress will pass a law, and then it’ll tell the agencies, ‘Write the rules to implement it’…. By writing the rules to implement it, they actually are writing the law. Then, they get to implement and decide what it means. We’ve seen that happen."

Rubio elaborated on his stance by stating: "Look, no one’s against making sure that airplanes don’t crash. No one’s against making sure your food isn’t poisoned and that the medicines you’re taking are actually what they say they are on the bottle. I think the problem becomes when it goes too far, especially nowadays when people who have money to invest decide: ‘Maybe we won’t do this in America. Maybe we won’t make things in America. Maybe we won’t invent things in America. We’ll go to some other country where the environment is less onerous.’"

He also referenced economic conditions during President Trump's tenure: "You saw in the Trump era [that] between tax cuts and deregulation, we had a real economic boom. We actually saw government revenues grow. Had it not been for the pandemic and local governments shutting down our economy and forcing kids out of school, I think that the story of the first four years would have been even better.”

Regarding trade policy prioritizing American interests, Rubio emphasized two main points: “There are two things tied into trade. The first thing that’s tied into trade is [Congress] needs to be a pro-American job policymaking body... It is good for our country to produce good, stable work that allows people to start families, buy homes, invest, and be a part of vibrant communities."

He continued by highlighting national defense considerations: "The second is we need industrial capacity in order to provide for our national defense... If we can’t grow our own food if we can’t make our own equipment if we lose car manufacturing if we lose heavy machinery and equipment—we’re also not going to be able to make ships and airplanes and other things that we need to defend our country."

Rubio drew historical parallels with World War II: “We won World War II not because we were [a military] power but because we were an industrial power... It was our industrial power that came into play and allowed us to tip the balance and save the world from Nazism and Imperial Japan."

He concluded by linking food security with national security: "We can’t forget that food security is a part of national security as well.”