It was the role of drones in everyday life that drove Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., to get Congress to restrict the purchase of Chinese drones by federal agencies. Those restrictions were included in a bill that Democratic President Joe Biden signed last year.

Lawmakers in Washington are seeking to ban new sales of drones from two dominant Chinese manufacturers, arguing they could be used to spy on Americans and that the low-cost models are hurting the U.S. drone industry.

Shenzhen-based DJI has the lion’s share of the global drone market and is the dominant player in the U.S. market.

North Carolina farmer Russell Hedrick is critical of lawmakers pushing for a ban of Chinese manufactured drones, which he uses on his fields to increase efficiency and cut costs. (AP video: Erik Verduzco,