Workforce Moderization Act Pt 3

Workforce Moderization Act Pt 3

Bob Larson
Bob Larson
With today’s Fruit Grower Report, I’m Bob Larson. Simplifying and streamlining the H-2A visa guest worker program and reforming the ag labor system for farmers and ranchers across the country is the goal of bipartisan legislations recently introduced in the House of Representatives.

Sunnyside Republican Dan Newhouse, co-sponsor of the Farm Workforce Modernization Act, says when it comes to the timeline, it will be tight …

NEWHOUSE … “As you know, we had a very short window before the end of the year, just a handful of legislative days left even before Thanksgiving, but my colleague Zoe Lofgren is vice-chair of the Judiciary Committee, which is the committee of jurisdiction, and she is certain that she can get time on the agenda of the committee very soon.”

If so, Newhouse says that should help …

NEWHOUSE … “And, hopefully we can get a hearing scheduled very soon and move it to the floor before the end of the year and then send it over to the Senate where they are anxiously awaiting what we send to them so that they can get to work on it as well.”

But, in the end …

NEWHOUSE … “You know, I can’t predict. There’s a lot of things happening here in Washington D.C., a lot of other things that are taking a lot of time from Congress in our schedule. But this is something that a lot of people want to see happen soon.”

The legislation would provide a path for workers who are already in the U.S. to obtain legal status and give the H-2A program more flexibility, and require E-Verify for all farm employment.

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