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."