WASHINGTON— Today, Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson released an op-ed regarding his support for Idaho agriculture. 

Supporting Idaho Agriculture

By Rep. Mike Simpson       

The full op-ed is available below.  

Whether you realize it or not, every one of us depends on American agriculture every day. Farmers and ranchers across Idaho feed and clothe our nation and help meet the needs of countless people worldwide. Idaho is home to nearly 25,000 farms and ranches, producing more than 185 commodities. As a representative of one of the most productive agricultural districts in the nation, I am proud to fight for American agriculture in Washington.

Agriculture is Idaho's backbone. Our state's past, present, and future are tied to the success of farmers and ranchers. Idaho's agricultural communities are economic drivers in our communities, supporting local businesses and economies and providing thousands of good-paying jobs.

Throughout my time in Congress, I have worked closely with our farmers and ranchers to listen to their concerns and tackle their issues in Washington. For instance, I have used my role as Chairman of the Interior and Environment Appropriations Subcommittee to champion several Idaho priorities and provisions that look after Western interests.

As a lifelong Idahoan, I know that the management of the gray wolf and greater sage grouse and the impact that an Endangered Species Act (ESA) listing of these species would have on farm and ranch operations is of great importance to Idaho.

Since 2015, I have included language in annual spending bills prohibiting an ESA listing for the greater sage-grouse, and I’m proud to have once again successfully secured this provision that prevents the overreach of ESA listing in my recent Fiscal Year 2024 Interior and Environment Appropriations Bill that was recently signed into law. An ESA listing of the sage grouse would undermine the collaborative work being done to manage sage grouse habitats at the local level by individuals who live, work, and recreate on Idaho’s land.

Wolf populations have seen robust growth in recent decades, and in recent years, it has become clear to me that those who continue to persist in putting the wolf back on the endangered species list are only those who benefit from ongoing litigation. That is why I inserted language to the FY11 Continuing Resolution instructing the Fish and Wildlife Service to reissue their 2009 determination to delist wolves in states with approved management plans in place. This language returned management of wolf populations in Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, and Utah to the states, and I’m pleased the Northern Rocky Mountain Population remains delisted. The Idaho Department of Fish and Game has managed the species well, and I believe it has been wise to leave this issue in the hands of the state. I will continue to use my voice in Washington to ensure that wolf management serves the best interests of Idahoans, not a Washington bureaucrat.

As I’ve spoken with farmers throughout the years, the most common issue brought to my attention is the need for a stable and reliable agriculture workforce.

I have been proud to work to find a legislative solution for the agriculture workforce crisis facing our nation. My legislation, the Farm Workforce Modernization Act, would solve the most pressing issues I hear from farmers today.  

The United States has several guest worker programs that allow guest workers to legally enter the country for specified employment on a temporary basis. Through these programs, employers can find agricultural workers when U.S. workers are unwilling or unavailable to meet their needs. However, this program, the H-2A visa program, is costly, cumbersome, and frankly doesn’t work for farmers across the country. For instance, the H-2A program is not able to be utilized by year-round work, so Idaho’s dairy industry is left without access to this or any other guestworker program.

I represent one of the most productive dairy districts in the nation, and I take my responsibility to provide them with a legislative solution to their workforce shortage seriously. Additionally, out-of-control wage spikes in the H-2A program have burdened our farmers for years now. My bill would address these wage spikes and provide farmers with much-needed relief from the skyrocketing Adverse Effect Wage Rate (AEWR).

The Farm Workforce Modernization Act addresses undocumented workers, reforms the H-2A program to provide more flexibility for employers and consolidates the H-2A filing process, opens the H-2A program up to dairy and other year-round agricultural employment, and reduces labor costs by freezing wages for one year and capping growth thereafter.

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 creates a mandatory E-Verify system for all agricultural employment once the H-2A reforms are enacted to guarantee that future workers are authorized to be here.

With labor costs accounting for upwards of 38 percent of total production expenses for some farmers and the volatility and lack of a reliable, stable, and legal workforce in Idaho reaching a crisis point – this is a critically important issue. For anyone who doubts the importance of enacting the reforms in this legislation, I encourage them to speak to the people farming and producing the food they put on their family’s table. Labor is often a farmer’s number one concern and a threat to the long-term viability of farms across Idaho.

The Farm Workforce Modernization Act has passed the House of Representatives in two consecutive Congresses. This legislation has stalled and has not yet passed the U.S. Senate. The Farm Workforce Modernization Act has support from more than 250 agricultural groups nationwide, over 40 of which are from Idaho, including the Idaho Dairymen’s Association, Idaho Cattleman’s Association, Idaho Bankers Association, Amalgamated Sugar Company, and many others. I will continue to fight for Idaho agriculture and work to see my legislation signed into law.

From supporting the U.S. sugar program to authoring language in yearly appropriations bills that keep the U.S. Sheep Experimental Station in Dubois, Idaho, open and operational, I am committed to ensuring the voices of our farmers and ranchers are heard in Washington. Idaho agriculture has always been and will remain a top priority as I work in Congress.

As the co-chair of the Congressional Potato Caucus, the Congressional Sugar Caucus, and the Congressional Dairy Caucus, supporting agriculture is one of my most important responsibilities. I thank the men and women of Idaho agriculture who clothe and feed our nation every day. Know that I will continue to use my position in Congress to look out for your interests.