Time to Act: Securing a Legal Workforce for American Agriculture
Congressman Mike Simpson
Whether we realize it or not, every American depends on agriculture every single day. From the milk in our morning coffee to the produce on our dinner plates, our farmers and ranchers help meet the needs of millions of Americans.
Idaho is home to nearly 25,000 farms and ranches, producing more than 185 commodities. As the representative of one of the most productive agricultural districts in the nation, I have been proud to fight for the interests of farmers and ranchers in Washington. However, as I’ve spoken with farmers over the years, the most common issue brought to my attention is the need for a stable and reliable agricultural workforce.
Agriculture throughout the nation faces a growing workforce crisis. If Congress doesn’t act to reform our agricultural immigration system, all Americans will feel the painful impact.
That said, Americans nationwide felt the impact of President Biden’s disastrous open-border policies. Reforming this comprehensive immigration policy to create a stable and legal workforce was impossible under the Biden administration because President Biden’s policies created an unprecedented crisis.
President Trump entered the Oval Office and secured the southern border. His administration has taken the necessary steps to remove dangerous illegal immigrants from our communities. It has sent a clear message to these individuals that they are no longer welcome to come into the United States. Our country is once again prioritizing the safety of border patrol agents, rural communities, and American families.
President Trump recently emphasized his commitment to protecting America’s farmers while removing violent criminals who have no place in our country. He is absolutely right. Our focus should remain on deporting dangerous criminals, not law-abiding farmers and ranchers.
Let me be clear: making meaningful reforms to the H-2A visa program and establishing a strong, legal immigration workforce for agricultural producers is not an amnesty deal. Our country needs a stable labor force to protect our food supply and ensure farmers can continue to do their jobs.
That’s why I have long supported the Farm Workforce Modernization Act, a bipartisan solution that will protect our farms and the nation’s food supply.
This legislation is a common-sense fix to one of the most urgent challenges facing our farmers and ranchers. It has a record of bipartisan support, passing the House in both the 116th and 117th Congresses.
This bill addresses undocumented workers, reforms the H-2A program to provide more flexibility for employers, consolidates the H-2A filing process, expands the H-2A program to include dairy and other year-round agricultural employment, and reduces labor costs by freezing wages for one year and capping future growth.
Importantly, this bill does not circumvent the requirements to search for domestic workers first and maintains that employers looking to utilize the H-2A program must demonstrate that efforts to recruit U.S. workers were unsuccessful.
Additionally, the bill establishes a mandatory E-Verify system for all agricultural employment once the H-2A reforms are enacted, ensuring that future workers are authorized to be in the country.
For anyone who doubts the importance of enacting the reforms in this legislation, I encourage them to speak with the people who farm and produce the food they put on tables nationwide. Additionally, I would like to ask: how much are you willing to pay for a gallon of milk? $4? $8? $12? $15?
Farmers and producers are looking for certainty. The Farm Workforce Modernization Act provides the certainty they are seeking. And now that we finally have an administration that takes the border crisis and immigration seriously, it’s time for Congress to do its part.
President Trump has always stood with our farmers, and I believe he is the only President with the courage to lead on this issue. I am ready to work with my colleagues in both parties to get the Farm Workforce Modernization Act across the finish line and to the President’s desk for his signature.
Our farmers, ranchers, and producers feed and clothe the nation. For that, they deserve our action. It’s well past time we address this crisis, and President Trump has our support.
