The U.S. House of Representatives on Dec. 11 voted 260-165 to approve the Farm Workforce Modernization Act of 2019, a bipartisan bill spearheaded by U.S. Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA), along with original cosponsors who included U.S. Reps. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) and Mark Amodei (R-NV).
Reps. Newhouse, Amodei and McMorris Rodgers on Wednesday voted to approve the sweeping bill, H.R. 5038, which contains provisions related to alien farmworkers, including those to establish a certified agricultural worker status and to change the H-2A temporary worker program, according to the congressional record summary.
“Creating a legal and reliable workforce for American agriculture has been one of my highest priorities since coming to Congress,” said Rep. Dan Newhouse, the lead original cosponsor of H.R. 5038, which he introduced on Nov. 12 with bill sponsor U.S. Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA).
“Our farmers and ranchers facing a labor crisis need relief, and the men and women who contribute to our nation’s agriculture industry need certainty,” Rep. Newhouse said. “The Farm Workforce Modernization Act is the first step. This bill is our opportunity to finally provide stability to America’s farms and a significant improvement over the status quo.”
According to a one-page summary of H.R. 5038 provided by the lawmakers, the bill would establish a program for agricultural workers in the United States to earn legal status through continued agricultural employment and contribution to the U.S. agricultural economy; reform the H-2A program to provide more flexibility for employers, while ensuring worker protections; and create a mandatory, nationwide E-Verify system for all agricultural employment with a structured phase-in and guaranteed due process for authorized workers, among other provisions.
“While this bill isn’t perfect, it is an important step forward to provide relief to our farmers,” said Rep. McMorris Rodgers. “If Washington farmers, ranchers and dairymen are going to continue to keep food on the table for our community and the world, we need an agriculture workforce that will meet their needs.”
Noting that agriculture is the top industry in her eastern Washington district, Rep. McMorris Rodgers said she’s “glad we were able to come together, find common ground, and move forward on a compromise bill that will make a real difference for eastern Washington agriculture.”
Rep. Amodei pointed out that one of his specific reasons for supporting H.R. 5038 was that it includes reforms to wage inflation for the H-2A program and would cap the annual growth of the Adverse Effect Wage Rate (AEWR) for 10 years.
“In Nevada, double-digit AEWR increases in recent years have put a squeeze on agricultural employers that use the H-2A program, and I’ve heard strong support for the decade of wage stability and predictability this bill will provide,” said Rep. Amodei, who also cited how the bill addresses certain criminal concerns; reforms waiting periods for green cards; and establishes a new 60-day mandatory mediation period before any litigation could move forward between employers and workers.
“Overall, this legislation represents a responsible first step in finally getting the ball rolling on immigration reform,” Rep. Amodei said. “As I have said before, the status quo doesn’t work for any interest group, and while reforms to this issue will continue to be complex and emotional debates, I will always prefer to be criticized for taking thoughtful action than for pretending inaction is a solution.”
H.R. 5038 has garnered the support of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and more than 300 agricultural and agribusiness associations.
The U.S. Senate received the measure on Dec. 12 and has referred it to the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee for consideration.