Another year, another Congress following a year without Senate passage of the Farm Workforce Modernization Act. For some, that?s a hard pill to swallow. Before the year-end break last month, U.S. Representative Dan Newhouse sounded cautiously optimistic. With a new year and a new Congress, he said answers are still needed for the act and ag labor reform.
?Well, the last thing you said, the need for labor reform is just as critical as ever,? Newhouse said. ?And so, my interest in getting this done is as high as it?s ever been.?
Newhouse said the challenge, though, is being able to get enough bipartisan support in the Senate.
?We did get it through the House, twice as a matter of fact, two Congresses in a row, and it continues to stall in the Senate,? Newhouse said. ?With the reason being given that, by many of my Senate colleagues, that while we have a crisis at the southern border, they just cannot see their way to be able to move forward and pass immigration-related legislation. That?s very frustrating because, as we?ve talked about before, the Farm Workforce Modernization Act is actually part of the solution to getting control of our southern border.?
Moving forward, Newhouse said the bill will at some point be reintroduced in the House.
?The good thing is that there?s interestingly, a renewed interest in the Senate,” Newhouse said. “There?s a bipartisan group of Senators who have been down to the border this week, as a matter of fact, talking about the need to improve not only the situation at the border, but immigration policies overall in our country. It?s going to be more difficult. There?s no question about it. But I think we have to keep trying and I will continue to keep trying to get this done.?
Newhouse added that, without an adequate workforce, our crops will go unharvested, and our food supply chain is placed further at risk.
