{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/newhouse-senate-pass-farm-workforce-modernization-act-now", "Newhouse to Senate: Pass the Farm Workforce Modernization Act NOW", "2022-09-15", "2022", "2022-09", "Republican", "House", "WA", "Dan Newhouse", "N000189", "newhouse.house.gov", "newhouse", "https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013\u2013 Today, Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) hosted a press conference to once again urge the Senate to pass his landmark legislation, the Farm Workforce Modernization Act.\n\nFarmers and ranchers across the United States are in desperate need of a high-quality, reliable workforce, and the current H-2A guestworker program needs meaningful, bipartisan reform. The Farm Workforce Modernization Act, which passed the House for the second time in March 2021, creates a workforce solution for America\u2019s agriculture industry. By creating a secure, reliable agriculture labor program, this legislation removes opportunities to work illegally in the United States, strengthens our border security, lowers food costs for Americans, and ensures we have a stable, legal workforce for our farms and ranches for years to come.\n\nClick here to hear Rep. Newhouse\u2019s remarks.\n\nRep. Newhouse was joined by the American Business Immigration Coalition Action (ABIC Action), National Council of Farmer Cooperatives (NCFC), AmericanHort, the International Fresh Produce Association, U.S. Apple Association, National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF), and US Custom Harvesters, Inc.\n\n\u201cAcross the country dairy farms have gone out of business because the labor crisis is preventing them from making the decisions and investments necessary to continue to operate. In many cases, it is no longer workforce uncertainty that affects farmers\u2019 business decisions \u2013 it\u2019s the new, unfortunate reality that there just aren\u2019t enough workers. National Milk Producers Federation is leading advocacy for reforms that answer the needs of dairy farmers and farmworkers in addressing these dire workforce challenges. Dairy needs reform that both protects our current workers and their families and grants our farmers meaningful access to a workable guestworker program. NMPF thanks Congressman Newhouse for his hard work and leadership to bring us closer to the ag labor reform that dairy, and our country, so badly need.\u201d \u2014 National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) Senior Director of Government Relations Claudia Larson\n\n\u201cNo doubt the top issue we hear from farmers is their challenge accessing labor. Without addressing the ag labor crisis now, our efforts next year to develop a sound farm bill will, for many producers, ring hollow as they will lack the workers they need to plant or harvest crops or care for their animals. This is why the efforts by Senators Crapo and Bennett\u2014and subsequent Senate action\u2014is so vital. We thank Rep. Newhouse for his leadership getting a bipartisan bill through the House.\u201d \u2013 National Council of Farmer Cooperatives (NCFC) President & CEO Chuck Conner\n\n\u201cThis week\u2019s CPI report shows that Americans are facing the highest food price inflation since 1979\u201413.5% jump in groceries. We\u2019re in a crisis and if we want Americans to be able to eat affordable, safe food and for our nation to be able to feed itself independently and not be forced to rely on imports, we need Senators Crapo and Bennet to file their Senate bill, building on the work the House has already done passing the Farm Workforce Modernization Act twice. The cost of doing nothing is simply too great\u2014it\u2019s time to file this bill.\u201d \u2013 American Business Immigration Coalition Action (ABIC Action) Executive Director Rebecca Shi\n\n\u201cThe clock is ticking fast, but there is still time for the Senate to act on farm workforce reform that can provide immediate relief to agricultural producers and consumers. America\u2019s food security intertwines with our national security. Reforms to our broken visa and immigration system will help tamp down food price inflation and strengthen local economies. Growers in our sector of agriculture report that one out of every five positions sits empty. Farmers need stability and certainty. The Senate must act now.\u201d \u2013 AmericanHort Executive Vice President Craig Regelbrugge\n\n\u201cIncreasingly, apple growers are turning to the H-2A guestworker program, and today, apples are probably the largest single commodity user of the program. But workers are often delayed due to administrative red tape and the costs associated with the program have outpaced inflation for decades. The reforms in the House-passed Farm Workforce Modernization Act would bring the needed stability and predictability to the agriculture labor market as a whole and specifically to the H-2A program. Attention must now turn to the Senate.\u201d \u2013 U.S. Apple Association President and CEO Jim Bair\n\n\u201cIFPA members tell us that, given how difficult the current H2A process is, labor shortages are now the norm rather than the exception. A lack of skilled farm labor causes a ripple effect in the supply chain, resulting in fewer options and higher prices for restaurant operators, supermarkets, schools, and everyday Americans. Immigration reform is the single most important action that can be taken to give relief to Americans struggling to fight unprecedented food inflation and provide healthy food choices for their families. The cost of inaction is far too high. No one can afford to wait any longer.\u201d \u2013 International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA) CEO Cathy Burns\n\nRep. Newhouse\u2019s remarks as prepared can be found in full below:\n\nHello everyone, I\u2019m Congressman Dan Newhouse from Washington State, and I\u2019m here today to call on my Senate colleagues\u2014yet again\u2014to come together so we can finally fix our broken immigration system and combat the rising food costs every single American across the country is facing right now.\n\nAgriculture producers across the country have been facing a labor shortage crisis for years, and recently, it\u2019s only gotten worse.\n\nI\u2019m a farmer myself, and I can tell you that it is truly a struggle to find workers. I used to serve as the Washington State Director of Agriculture, and during that time, Washington\u2019s governor made the decision to deploy prisoners to help pick apples\u2014because there weren\u2019t enough workers to do the job, domestic or foreign.\n\nAnd I can tell you, we\u2019re no better off now than we were then.\n\nWithout an adequate workforce, our crops will go unharvested, and our already-delicate food supply chain is placed further at risk.\n\nNow, grocery bills are rising at the fastest pace we\u2019ve seen in more than 40 years, and we know it\u2019s because inputs, from labor to gas, are rising exponentially.\n\nWhile I see firsthand the struggle our Central Washington producers face, this isn\u2019t just an issue affecting Central Washington, this is a nationwide issue.\n\nThat is why I introduced the Farm Workforce Modernization Act\u2014to address these labor shortages and ensure we have a legal and reliable workforce for all of agriculture.\n\nBy ensuring a legal and reliable agricultural workforce, we can secure our food supply, strengthen our national security, reduce food costs, and raise wages and reduce unemployment for ALL American workers by creating value-added, upstream jobs for Americans.\n\nWhen we\u2019re in the midst of a labor crisis, why would we not pass labor reform?\n\nWhen we\u2019re in the midst of a food crisis, why would we not implement change to ensure Americans are fed?\n\nWhen we\u2019re in the midst of an inflationary crisis, why would we wait to lower food and production costs that Americans are desperate for?\n\nIt is far-past time we deliver solutions\u2014not just empty promises\u2014to our farmers and ranchers, to our farmworkers, and to all Americans who deserve a strong food supply chain.\n\nAnd we already have that solution in the Farm Workforce Modernization Act.\n\nSo let\u2019s stop waiting, and start acting.\n\nLet\u2019s reform our broken immigration laws and ensure that those who wish to pursue a legal pathway or come to our country to contribute to our agriculture industry are able to do so.\n\nLet\u2019s protect our communities, strengthen our national security, and secure our southern border, but also recognize the contributions of immigrants and bolster our local economies, producers, and small businesses.\n\nLet\u2019s secure our food supply and ensure American families can afford the groceries they need.\n\nAnd let\u2019s do that today.\n\nSenators, it\u2019s time we move the Farm Workforce Modernization Act forward, and it\u2019s on you now.\n\nBecause with your help, we can finally secure our border, lower food costs, and provide a lasting solution for our farmers and ranchers.\n\nThank you.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T03:08:33Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/newhouse-senate-pass-farm-workforce-modernization-act-now"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 3.019765019416809, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}