Bipartisan House Members Introduce Farm Workforce Modernization Act

Washington, October 30, 2019

Today, Reps. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA-19), Dan Newhouse (R-WA-04), Collin Peterson (D-MN-07), Mike Simpson (R-ID-02), Jimmy Panetta (D-CA-20), Doug LaMalfa (R-CA-01), and Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL-25) introduced the Farm Workforce Modernization Act to provide a compromise solution for American agriculture. The bill was introduced with the strong bipartisan support of 24 Democrats and 20 Republicans.

The Farm Workforce Modernization Act, which was negotiated over several months with input from agricultural stakeholders and labor organizations, makes meaningful reforms to the H-2A agricultural guestworker program and creates a first-of-its-kind, merit-based visa program specifically designed for the nation’s agricultural sector.

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Click here for bill text.

“The men and women who work America’s farms feed the nation. But, farmworkers across the country are living and working with uncertainty and fear, contributing to the destabilization of farms across the nation,” said Rep. Lofgren. “Our bill offers stability for American farms by providing a path to legal status for farmworkers. In addition, the Farm Workforce Modernization Act addresses the nation’s future labor needs by modernizing an outdated system for temporary workers, while ensuring fair wages and workplace conditions.”

“When I speak to farmers and ranchers across the country, labor is often their number one concern. Our nation’s agriculture industry is diverse and flourishing, but producers are in desperate need of a legal and reliable workforce,” said Rep. Newhouse. “As a third-generation farmer, I understand the invaluable contributions made by farmworkers to American agriculture, and we must modernize our guestworker program to work for farmers, ranchers, and farmworkers in the 21^st Century.  The Farm Workforce Modernization Act offers a strong, bipartisan workforce solution to provide certainty to both farm owners and workers through an accessible, employment-based program. This bill is the solution our agricultural industry needs.”

The full list of cosponsors includes: Rep. Mark Amodei (R-NV-07); Rep. James Baird (R-IN- 04); Rep. Anthony Brindisi(D-NY-22); Rep. Susan W. Brooks (R-IN-05); Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-CA-24); Rep. Tony Cardenas (D-CA-29); Rep. Judy Chu (D-CA-27); Rep. Tom Cole (R-OK-04); Rep. Luis J. Correa (D-CA-46); Rep. Jim Costa (D-CA-16); Rep. TJ Cox (D-CA-21); Rep. Angie Craig (D-MN-02) Rep. John Curtis  (R-UT-03); Rep. David Scott (D-GA-13); Rep. Rodney Davis (R-IL-13); Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL-25); Rep. Marcia Fudge (D-OH-11); Rep. Sylvia Garcia  (D-TX-29); Rep. Bob Gibbs (R-OH-07); Rep. Josh Harder (D-CA-10); Rep. Doug LaMalfa (R-CA-01); Rep. Al Lawson (D-FL-05); Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA-05); Rep. Paul Mitchell  (R-MI-10); Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA-04); Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA-22); Rep. Jimmy Panetta  (D-CA-20); Rep. Collin C. Peterson (D-MN-07); Rep. Tom Reed (R-NY-23); Rep. Linda Sanchez (D-CA-38); Rep. Kurt Schrader (D-OR-05); Rep. Kim Schrier (D-WA-08) ; Rep. Mike Simpson (R-ID-02); Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI-08); Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA-07); Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA-19); Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY-21); Rep. Steve Stivers (R-OH-15); Rep. Norma Torres (D-CA-35); Rep. Xochitl Torres Small (D-NM-02); Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI-06); Rep. Filemon Vela (D-TX-34); Rep. Greg Walden (R-OR-02); Rep. Don Young  (R-AK- At Large)

“Agriculture needs a reliable and legal source of workers. I want to thank the bipartisan group of Members who worked with ag groups to come up with this initial bill that can help move this dialogue forward.  This effort has produced a proposal that provides a better option than the status quo for many parts of U.S. agriculture.  As this discussion continues, we need to also address meat and poultry processing workforce needs,” said Rep. Peterson.

“My constituents have been asking me to fix our immigration laws since my first day in Congress,” said Rep. Simpson. “There is perhaps no more important facet of immigration reform for Idaho and its economy than the agriculture workforce. I am proud to introduce the Farm Workforce Modernization Act alongside a bipartisan coalition of members in the first step towards solving this problem. Getting our farmers’ employees right with the law will provide economic stability to our rural communities and make our country safer by creating a legal, merit-based agriculture immigration system that allows our valuable law enforcement resources to focus on the bad actors.”

“For many years, farmers and farmworkers from the Central Coast to the center of America to the East Coast have faced continued uncertainty when it comes to agriculture labor,” said Rep. Panetta. “Fortunately, my colleagues and I not only understand this issue, we understand what it will take to fix this issue. That is why for the past nine months, Democratic and Republican members of Congress and farmers and farmworkers have been at the table working tirelessly to grind out the details of legislation that protects the people that currently work in agriculture and modernizes and streamlines our immigration system for agriculture labor. It wasn't easy and the legislation still needs to be signed into law, but the Farm Workforce Modernization Act is a big step in the right direction for a bipartisan solution that can provide the needed certainty in our agriculture communities. I am proud to have been a part these efforts and look forward to continuing the fight to pass this legislation that is so important to the Central Coast and our country.”

“Today, we announce a common-sense compromise that is fair to farmers, farmworkers, and to US citizens who appreciate the rule of law. Across the Country and in California, farmers have been calling for a reliable and legal workforce for years,” said Rep. LaMalfa. “The Farm Workforce Modernization Act addresses these issues in a bipartisan manner that will provide some much-needed certainty. It does so by modernizing the H-2A program, stabilizing wages, and instituting a merit-based system for agricultural workers to eventually earn legal status – but only after years of proven and consistent employment in the U.S. agriculture industry, vigorous background checks, and state-of-the-art biometric verification. It’s what the people who work to feed our country need. I’m happy to have been a part in crafting this bipartisan agreement and deliver on our promise to find solutions for America’s agriculture industry.”

“The success of our farmers, growers, and producers is essential not only for our economy but for our national security. For far too long, we’ve suffered from a broken H2A system—making it difficult for farmers to hire the workforce necessary to provide to the American people,” said Rep. Diaz-Balart. This bill would allow us to continue to grow and produce food in our country, while proving a solution that strengthens economic and national security, offers stability and permanence to agricultural workers, adheres to the rule of law, modernizes our antiquated H2A system, and bolsters the economy. I’m proud to lead this important legislation, and I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues as we pursue a good-faith, bipartisan solution for our nation's farmers.”

The bill has garnered the wide-spread support of nearly 250 agriculture groups and labor organizations.

“After months of negotiations, the UFW and UFW Foundation are enthusiastic about passing legislation that honors all farm workers who feed America by creating a way for undocumented workers to apply for legal status and a roadmap to earn citizenship in the future without compromising farm workers’ existing wages and legal protections. Understanding that compromise is required to meaningfully improve the lives of immigrant field laborers, it is our hope this will be the first time the House of Representatives, under the leadership of either party, will approve an agricultural immigration bill,” said Arturo S. Rodriguez, President Emeritus of United Farmworkers & Spokesperson of UFW Foundation.

“We have supported numerous efforts to address dairy’s acute labor needs.  Passing legislation in the House is a critical step in the process.  We urge the Senate to work with us on this important issue so we can get an ag worker bill across the finish line in this Congress,” said Jim Mulhern, President and CEO of National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF). “The bipartisan Farm Workforce Modernization Act provides an important starting point for badly needed improvements to agriculture immigration policy. NMPF would like to thank Chairwoman Lofgren and Congressman Newhouse for their bipartisan leadership, and we look forward to continuing to work with them as this important legislation moves forward.”

“The legislation points the way towards achieving many of the long-standing immigration reform goals of NCFC and others in agriculture. While there are provisions that are problematic, on balance it is a good starting point for the legislative process. It provides an opportunity to obtain an earned legal status for the current workforce in agriculture; it codifies many of the reforms that the Trump Administration has made to the current H-2A program and provides some certainty over labor costs; and it authorizes a limited number of year-round visas for those farmers with year-round labor needs, such as those in dairy and livestock,” said Chuck Conner, President & CEO of National Coalition of Farm Cooperatives. “We look forward to working with Chairwoman Lofgren, Congressman Newhouse and the other co-sponsors as the bill moves forward to ensure that the bill leads to a solution that ensures agriculture producers have access to a legal and stable workforce.”

Background:

Farmers and ranchers across the United States are in desperate need of a high-quality, reliable workforce, and the current H-2A guestworker program is in need of meaningful, bipartisan reform.  The Farm Workforce Modernization Act creates a workforce solution for America’s agriculture industry by providing stability, predictability, and fairness to one of the most critical sectors of our nation’s economy.

The bill will:

• 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 critical protections for workers. The bill focuses on modifications to make the program more responsive and user-friendly for employers and provides access to the program for industries with year-round labor needs.
• Establish mandatory, nationwide E-Verify system for all agricultural employment with a structured phase-in and guaranteed due process for authorized workers who are incorrectly rejected by the system.

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Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson applauded inclusion of a fire borrowing fix and forestry reforms in the Omnibus Appropriations bill. Simpson has long championed a fix to fire borrowing having authored the Wildfire Disaster Funding Act which would treat wildfires like other natural disasters. The Omnibus includes the core principles of this bill by addressing the rising cost of fire suppression and a budget mechanism to provide parity with other natural disasters like hurricanes, floods, and tornadoes.

“The FY18 Omnibus spending bill might be one of the most critical pieces of legislation for western members I have seen since coming to Congress,” said Congressman Simpson. “I am thrilled this Omnibus provides a solution to fire borrowing. It has been my top legislative priority for years and by including this in the Omnibus, the Forest Service will be able to complete their maintenance and prevention work without fear of losing those dollars to suppression. It is long past due that wildfires in the west receive equal treatment with other natural disasters and this bill delivers the necessary budget changes to stop the dangerous practice of fire borrowing that has led to catastrophic wildfires in Idaho and throughout the west. I would like to thank Chairman Calvert and his counterparts on Interior Appropriations for prioritizing these important provisions. I would also like to thank Congressman Schrader and Senators Crapo and Wyden who have been champions of the Wildfire Disaster Funding Act since I began this effort in 2013.”

The legislation also includes several important forest management reforms that will allow the Forest Service and Department of the Interior to accomplish more prevention and management, which also helps reduce wildfires. Specifically, the Omnibus includes a fix to the disastrous court ruling known as the Cottonwood decision that has resulted in vegetative management projects and millions of board feet being put on hold. Congressman Simpson introduced the Litigation Relief for Forest Management Act last year, which is bipartisan legislation that would resolve the Cottonwood case. Similar language was included in the Omnibus spending bill.

“The forest management reforms in this bill will give land managers the tools they need to get the job done,” added Simpson. “The Cottonwood decision is a concern I heard from the local Forest Service on the ground, all the way up the Secretary of Agriculture as a barrier that stands in the way of improving the health of our federal forests. This is a serious problem that needed to be addressed, and this bill solves that issue as well.”

The Omnibus also addresses support for rural counties by fully funding Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) and reauthorizing Secure Rural Schools (SRS). This vital funding supports county budgets for the most critical of needs such as roads and schools.

The National Park Restoration Act

The National Park Service is by far one of the most popular federal agencies. Over 330 million visits were recorded to national park sites in 2016, generating over $18 billion in visitor spending to local communities and over 315,000 jobs.  But NPS is over 100 years old and many its facilities are aging and badly in need of repairs.  Currently the National Park Service has an $11.6 billion maintenance backlog. Their annual appropriation from Congress is roughly a quarter of that. Idahoans love to visit Yellowstone and Craters of the Moon but they are not immune from this problem with $515 million and $7 million respectively in deferred maintenance costs.

That is why Congressman Kurt Schrader (D-OR) and I introduced H.R. 5210, the National Park Restoration Act. The bill takes onshore and offshore revenues from energy production not designated for other purposes and directs the money towards deferred maintenance in our parks. This legislation has the potential to generate billions of dollars to address this backlog. The legislation is also supported by Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke and the Senate introduced a companion bill by Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and Senator Angus King (I-ME).

What the bill does:

• Creates the National Park Restoration Fund to provide mandatory funding for the high-priority deferred maintenance needs that support critical infrastructure and visitor services at our national parks.
• Provides mandatory funding for the maintenance backlog on top of annual appropriations for operations and construction at the National Park Service.
• The fund receives 50 percent of onshore and offshore revenues from energy production on federal lands over expected amounts that are not already allocated to other purposes. 
• Protects payments to states, the Land and Water Conservation Fund, the Reclamation Fund, and all other existing uses of onshore and offshore revenues. These existing uses will receive all of their funding before the National Park Restoration Fund receives any funding.

What they’re saying about the National Park Restoration Act:

“We welcome this legislation in contributing to the ongoing conversation of developing new solutions to address this important issue. Americans expect and deserve their public lands to be in a good condition when they visit, and we look forward to working with the sponsors, and other supporters of our parks and public lands, in moving forward a widely-supported solution to this problem.”

-Mary Ellen Sprenkel, President & CEO, The Corps Network

“Thank you for your leadership in developing the National Park Restoration Act, an important effort to overcome the more than $11 billion backlog in maintenance in our national parks. Roads, buildings, trails, campgrounds, water systems and more suffer from this accumulated problem – and visitor safety and enjoyment of our parks natural and historic resources are very real concerns."

-Outdoor Recreation Roundtable, including the American Horse Council, Archery Trade Association, Association of Marina Industries, American Sportfishing Association, BoatUS, International Snowmobile Manufacturers Association, Marine Retailers Association of the Americas, Motorcycle Industry Council, National Association of RV Parks & Campgrounds, National Marine Manufacturers Association, National Park Hospitality Association, Outdoor Industry Association, Recreational Off-Highway Vehicle Association, Recreational Vehicle Industry Association, Recreational Vehicle Dealers Association, Specialty Equipment Manufacturers Association, Specialty Vehicle Institute of America

“National Parks are the backbone of the federal recreation system. For far too long these treasures have not received the care and attention worthy of America’s ‘Best Idea’. Rep. Mike Simpson’s bipartisan legislation to address the multi-billion dollar maintenance backlog is the type of action and leadership needed for the Parks to thrive for the next 100 years and beyond.”

-Fred Ferguson, VP, Government Relations, Vista Outdoor 

“Introduction of another park maintenance bill shows Congress is listening to the thousands of voices calling on them to #FixOurParks. Thx @CongMikeSimpson @RepSchrader @SenAlexander @SenAngusKing @MartinHeinrich”

-The Pew Charitable Trusts

"In Yellowstone National Park, we have experienced an unprecedented increase in visitation over the past few years, exceeding 4 million visits for the first time in 2015. With a deferred maintenance backlog of $515 million, the park is working hard to keep its roads and facilities safe, clean and welcoming for our visitors and our employees. We applaud Representative Simpson, Representative Schrader, Senator Alexander, and Senator King for their efforts to support the National Park Service."
     
          -Dan Wenk, Superintendent, Yellowstone National Park

Simpson’s Boulder White Clouds Bill Signed by President
President Barack Obama signs legislation into law

Washington, Aug 7 | 

U.S. President Barack Obama today signed into law Congressman Mike Simpson’s legislation creating three new Wilderness areas in Idaho. The legislation, The Sawtooth National Recreation Area and Jerry Peak Wilderness Additions Act (H.R. 1138), was signed earlier today in a signing ceremony at the White House.

“I am grateful to President Obama for his signature on this important legislation and humbled by the tireless work of countless Idahoans that led to its passage,” said Simpson. “The Boulder White Clouds area is now protected, in perpetuity, by the gold standard of preservation designations. I am proud that this was accomplished through a truly collaborative process that produced an Idaho solution to decades of conflict and debate. Without the work of our many partners in this process, and especially the tireless efforts of Senator Jim Risch, today’s signing would not have been possible.”

Specifically Simpson’s legislation will do the following:

• Sawtooth National Recreation Area:  The Sawtooth National Forest would remain as the principle administrative body and the current management would remain intact under the existing SNRA law (PL 92-400) and the existing SNRA management and travel plans.  The Challis BLM would remain the managers of the East Fork BLM and Salmon-Challis National Forest areas.
• Wilderness:  Three new wilderness areas would be created totaling 275,665 acres. They are the Hemingway-Boulders Wilderness (88,079 acres), the White Clouds Wilderness (90,841 acres) and the Jim McClure-Jerry Peak Wilderness (117,040).  The total wilderness acreage would be reduced by 36,968 acres from the original CIEDRA bill that would have created 332,928 acres.
• Multiple Use:  Four wilderness study areas would be released back to multiple use: the Jerry Peak Wilderness Study Area, the Jerry Peak West Wilderness Study Area, the Corral-Horse Basin Wilderness Study Area, the Boulder Creek Wilderness Study Area and any USFS recommended wilderness not made wilderness totaling 155,003 acres. This is up 23,333 acres released from the original CIEDRA bill which totaled 131,670.
• Motorized Use:  No roads that are currently open to vehicles, or trails that are currently open to two wheeled motorized use would be closed.  The Grand Prize and Germania trails (including the ridge in between) and the Frog Lake Loop would be excluded from wilderness and remain open to two wheeled motorized use under the existing SNRA travel plan.  The following higher elevation snowmobiling areas would remain open as allowed under the existing SNRA travel plan: 4th of July Basin, Washington Basin, Phyllis Lake Basin, Champion Lakes and Warm Springs Meadows.
• Mountain Bikes:  All areas currently open to mountain bikes outside of the proposed wilderness will remain open.  Under CIEDRA, the 4th of July trail would have been closed to mountain bikes and will now remain open.  This allows the Pole Creek/Washington Basin/4th of July loops to remain open.  The Germania/Grand Prize Corridor trails and all trails outside of the wilderness would remain open to mountain bikes subject to the SNRA travel plan.
• Grazing:  Grazing plays an important role in the heritage and economies of rural Idaho and Custer County.  Along the East Fork of the Salmon River, generational ranching families provide significant benefits in maintaining the historic character and nature of East Fork while providing significant conservation benefits to the land, including sustaining the wide, open spaces and un-fragmented landscapes of the East Fork valley. In order to provide another tool for these families to maintain their livelihoods, a provision has been included to provide permittees within and adjacent to the proposed wilderness areas with a way to help them remain viable with as little disruption as possible.  Permittees with allotments within the boundaries of the “Boulder White Clouds Grazing Area Map” would be allowed to voluntarily retire their grazing permits and be eligible for compensation from a third party conservation group.  With this compensation, it is hoped that the ranching families will be able to create more secure and certain opportunities for future generations.
• Support to Counties:  Over $5 million in grants have been provided to Custer County and the surrounding Boulder-White Clouds communities for a community center, a county health clinic and EMT support, and improvements to Trail Creek Highway.  Individual parcels of land will be conveyed to Custer and Blaine counties, and rural communities for public purposes the per latest CIEDRA bill.
• Recreation Support:  Over $1.5 million in grants have been provided to the SNRA for trail maintenance and improvements, including maintenance and improvements to existing motorized trails and two existing trails to provide primitive wheelchair access, and for acquiring the land to build a mechanized bike/snowmobile access trail between Redfish Lake and Stanley.

Simpson Reaffirms Commitment to Stopping EPA Water Grab