President Bush elevates immigration reform debate during State of the Union
President Bush elevates immigration reform debate during State of the Union
WASHINGTON " Grower-based organizations are hoping that President Bush?s call for action on immigration reform during the State of the Union address will help Congress pass long-awaited reforms for the agriculture guest worker program.
?Those of us in agriculture who have been pleading for immigration reform are heartened by the president?s courageous call to action and we are optimistic that a solution can be found to solve the immigration crisis," said Tom Nassif, president of Western Growers Association in Irvine, CA.
The president?s State of the Union remarks elevated the discussion about the guest worker and immigration issues, said an aide to Sen. Larry Craig (R-ID), who was planning to reintroduce his Agricultural Job Opportunity, Benefits & Security bill on Feb. 10. Sen. Craig is hoping to push the bill through for a full Senate vote before the end of March.
?With AgJOBS, we could begin immediately to improve our homeland security " and especially ensure the safety and security of our food supply " by knowing who is planting and harvesting our crops, where those workers came from and where they are working," he said at a press conference last year.
?We do think the president speaking out on immigration reform gets the issue on the agenda this year," said Sharon Hughes, executive vice president of the National Council of Agricultural Employers. The legislation came close to reaching the Senate floor last year but became a victim of election year politics, she said.
Last year?s bill would have given an estimated 500,000 undocumented workers temporary resident status. Workers could apply for legal status if they can demonstrate that they?ve worked 100 or more days in a 12-consecutive-month period during an 18-month time. The bill would grant the farmworker permanent residency if the worker continues to work for the next six years.
The H-2A temporary and seasonal agricultural worker program would be streamlined and moved toward a market-based wage. The bill would require changes to the program, such as that H-2A workers be provided with workers? compensation insurance and cannot be hired because of jobs left vacant due to labor disputes. The strongest opposition to the legislation lies on the House side where some members believe it would give blanket amnesty to undocumented workers.
?We emphasize this is not an amnesty program," said Ms. Hughes, who represents agricultural employers. This is based on an earned adjustment that would require workers to go through background checks and rehabilitation " including years of community service in the agricultural business " before they would have a shot at becoming U.S. citizens, she said. The program would take the burden off border patrols and help assure a safe food supply, Ms. Hughes said.
One change this year in the debate on Capitol Hill will come from the American Farm Bureau Federation, which changed its policy on immigration reform. AFBF supports an opportunity for some agricultural workers to apply for permanent resident status, but the group now says it favors legislation that would apply reforms across different sectors, including hotels and restaurants.
The group said that it plans to talk to Sen. Craig about the wage rate in his legislation. It supports reforming the "adverse effect wage rate? in the H-2A program so that farmers are not required to pay workers more than the average prevailing wage for a particular agricultural occupation in the local region surrounding their farm.
?We?re getting squeezed by energy costs and foreign competition," said AFBF?s Austin Perez. The group favors setting wages passed on a specific occupation in a specific location. For example, farmers should pay California strawberry pickers wages based on what strawberry pickers are receiving where the farm is located. The minimum wage should not be set based on an average set among different occupations, he said.
?Those of us in agriculture who have been pleading for immigration reform are heartened by the president?s courageous call to action and we are optimistic that a solution can be found to solve the immigration crisis," said Tom Nassif, president of Western Growers Association in Irvine, CA.
The president?s State of the Union remarks elevated the discussion about the guest worker and immigration issues, said an aide to Sen. Larry Craig (R-ID), who was planning to reintroduce his Agricultural Job Opportunity, Benefits & Security bill on Feb. 10. Sen. Craig is hoping to push the bill through for a full Senate vote before the end of March.
?With AgJOBS, we could begin immediately to improve our homeland security " and especially ensure the safety and security of our food supply " by knowing who is planting and harvesting our crops, where those workers came from and where they are working," he said at a press conference last year.
?We do think the president speaking out on immigration reform gets the issue on the agenda this year," said Sharon Hughes, executive vice president of the National Council of Agricultural Employers. The legislation came close to reaching the Senate floor last year but became a victim of election year politics, she said.
Last year?s bill would have given an estimated 500,000 undocumented workers temporary resident status. Workers could apply for legal status if they can demonstrate that they?ve worked 100 or more days in a 12-consecutive-month period during an 18-month time. The bill would grant the farmworker permanent residency if the worker continues to work for the next six years.
The H-2A temporary and seasonal agricultural worker program would be streamlined and moved toward a market-based wage. The bill would require changes to the program, such as that H-2A workers be provided with workers? compensation insurance and cannot be hired because of jobs left vacant due to labor disputes. The strongest opposition to the legislation lies on the House side where some members believe it would give blanket amnesty to undocumented workers.
?We emphasize this is not an amnesty program," said Ms. Hughes, who represents agricultural employers. This is based on an earned adjustment that would require workers to go through background checks and rehabilitation " including years of community service in the agricultural business " before they would have a shot at becoming U.S. citizens, she said. The program would take the burden off border patrols and help assure a safe food supply, Ms. Hughes said.
One change this year in the debate on Capitol Hill will come from the American Farm Bureau Federation, which changed its policy on immigration reform. AFBF supports an opportunity for some agricultural workers to apply for permanent resident status, but the group now says it favors legislation that would apply reforms across different sectors, including hotels and restaurants.
The group said that it plans to talk to Sen. Craig about the wage rate in his legislation. It supports reforming the "adverse effect wage rate? in the H-2A program so that farmers are not required to pay workers more than the average prevailing wage for a particular agricultural occupation in the local region surrounding their farm.
?We?re getting squeezed by energy costs and foreign competition," said AFBF?s Austin Perez. The group favors setting wages passed on a specific occupation in a specific location. For example, farmers should pay California strawberry pickers wages based on what strawberry pickers are receiving where the farm is located. The minimum wage should not be set based on an average set among different occupations, he said.
