When a person thinks of Idaho agriculture, the first thing that may come to mind is potatoes. Or maybe it’s sugar beets, barley, or one of the other 180-plus commodities. What many people don’t realize is that dairy is Idaho's top agricultural product in cash receipts. 

Idaho’s dairy dominance may not come as a surprise to those directly involved in the industry, but whether we realize it or not, Americans nationwide rely on Idaho dairy for the milk, yogurt, butter, and cheese we consume daily. 

Despite dairy being Idaho’s top farm commodity, farmers and ranchers are facing a mounting labor crisis. 

Over the past few years, the most common and pressing issue brought to my attention has been the need for a stable, reliable agricultural workforce.

There is a lot of misinformation out there about addressing this workforce crisis, but the reality is that if Congress doesn’t act to reform our agricultural immigration system, all Americans will feel the pain.

Don't just take my word for it—ask any farmer or rancher, and I guarantee they will agree that a lack of labor reform could jeopardize the stability of the dairy industry. 

Volatility and a shortage of workers are putting immense pressure on agricultural producers, which is why states like Idaho need a stable labor force to protect our nation’s food supply and ensure farmers can continue to do their jobs.

Food security is national security, and without addressing the growing workforce, our nation's food supply would be jeopardized. How much are you willing to pay for a gallon of milk?

I have long advocated for reforming the H-2A visa program and enacting common-sense legislation to provide American agriculture with the stable, reliable, and legal workforce it needs. The keyword here is legal. 

The legislative initiatives that I’ve supported and will continue to support do not grant amnesty. Let me be clear: I do not support amnesty for illegal aliens. 

Instead, I support H-2A reforms that require undocumented workers to pay a fine for entering the country illegally. Additionally, I do not support the millions of illegal aliens who entered our country under the Biden administration being deemed as eligible for these kinds of labor jobs. 

Additionally, reforming the H-2A visa program would not jeopardize American employment or prioritize illegal workers over American citizens.

The problem is these are jobs Americans don’t want. Last year, there were 398,000 H-2A applications nationwide. Only 182 Americans chose to fill those jobs. That is 0.045%.

Under current requirements, Americans receive priority. A search for domestic workers must be conducted first, and employers seeking to use the H-2A program must demonstrate that efforts to recruit American workers were unsuccessful. Enacting common-sense reform to this program would not change the current requirements. 

Right now, under President Trump’s leadership and the most secure border in American history, we have the best chance of agricultural immigration reform. I’m confident that we can get a legislative fix across the finish line. 

President Trump has emphasized his commitment to protecting America’s farmers while removing violent criminals who have no place in our country. The President sticks to his word, and I believe he is the only President with the courage to lead on this issue, but it’s up to Congress to act.

I represent one of the most productive dairy districts in the nation, and I take my responsibility to provide Idaho’s farmers and ranchers with a legislative solution to their workforce shortage seriously. Finding a bipartisan path forward that will protect our farms and our nation’s food supply is possible, and I will continue fighting to solve this issue.