Farm Workforce Modernization Act Updt Pt 1

Farm Workforce Modernization Act Updt Pt 1

Bob Larson
Bob Larson
With today’s Fruit Grower Report, I’m Bob Larson. It’s been a long haul, with plenty of frustration along the way, but believe it or not, work on the Farm Workforce Modernization Act continues.

One of its original sponsors, U.S. Representative Dan Newhouse says the bill looks to reform the H-2A program primarily …

NEWHOUSE … “The bill is in the Senate. We’ve gotten it through the House, as you know. We continue to work with our Senate counterparts to elevate the level of urgency in the Senate to get something passed as soon as we can.”

And over time, Newhouse says more are recognizing its importance …

NEWHOUSE … “There’s, I think, a growing amount of support for doing something. People recognize the urgency in our agricultural industry for labor in most parts of the country. Not all people see it the same way. We’re just not at that sweet spot yet where we can get a bill to the floor of the Senate.”

Newhouse says it’s not moving as quickly as they’d like, but they’ll keep plugging away …

NEWHOUSE … “We continue to work tirelessly with our Senate counterparts to move this legislation forward. Almost everyday we’re doing something with our Senators so that we can make some progress, but unfortunately, I don’t have a lot of great things to report at this point.”

Newhouse says it’s certainly been frustrating, but is worth the fight.

Tune in tomorrow for more on the Farm Workforce Modernization Act and current problems that make passage more important than ever.

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