Immigration Reform Pt 1
From the Ag Information Network, I’m Bob Larson. The agricultural labor shortage continues to be a major issue impacting farmers and consumers across the country.Enrique Sanchez is the American Business Immigration Coalition’s intermountain state director, and he says this is a national security issue …
SANCHEZ … “It is critical that we address this issue urgently to keep grocery store shelves stocked and lower food prices for Americans everywhere. We cannot underestimate the importance of this issue to our national security. As we have heard before, food security is national security. The USDA predicts that this year, our country will import more agricultural goods than we export. This should be a wake-up call for all of us.”
Sanchez says reforming immigration policy took a big step forward in 2021, but proponents couldn’t get it across the finish line …
SANCHEZ … “In 2021, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Farm Workforce Modernization Act for the second time with bipartisan support. However, the Senate failed to take up the legislation, and we lost an important opportunity to make much-needed reforms to address the labor shortage crisis. We need the Senate to do its job, negotiate improvements to the House legislation, and get solutions onto the floor that help our nation's farmers continue to produce and help our nation's families afford to put food on their tables.”
Tune in tomorrow for more on immigration reform to improve the ag labor shortage.