What's Next for the Farm Workforce Modernization Act?
Legislators prepare to introduce the Farm Workforce Modernization Act into congress for the third time… after the much-needed farm labor reform stalled in the Senate yet again.Western Congressman Dan Newhouse says the key to getting this bill on to the President’s desk… is gathering enough bipartisan support in the Senate.
“We did get it through the House, twice as a matter of fact, two Congresses in a row, and it continues to stall in the Senate. With the reason being given that, by many of my Senate colleagues, that while we have a crisis at the southern border, they just cannot see their way to be able to move forward and pass immigration-related legislation. That’s very frustrating because, as we’ve talked about before, the Farm Workforce Modernization Act is actually part of the solution to getting control of our southern border.”
“The good thing is that there’s interestingly, a renewed interest in the Senate. There’s a bipartisan group of Senators who have been down to the border this week, as a matter of fact, talking about the need to improve not only the situation at the border, but immigration policies overall in our country. It’s going to be more difficult. There’s no question about it. But I think we have to keep trying and I will continue to keep trying to get this done.”
Newhouse says without an adequate workforce, our crops will go unharvested, and our food supply chain is placed further at risk.