Farm Workforce Modernization Act

Central Washington’s Dan Newhouse says now is a challenging time in farm country.  He said there are many things Washington D.C. can do to help growers and producers in this corner of the country.  Newhouse, a member of the House Ag Committee, said the farming industry is in desperate need of ag labor reform.   “And though the ...

The Senate failed to act on the Farm Workforce Modernization Act last year.  We asked Mark Powers with the Northwest Horticultural Council his thoughts, and if he expects to see Ag labor/immigration reform anytime soon.     If you have a story idea for the PNW Ag Network, call (509) 547-9791, or e-mail glenn.vaagen@townsqu...

After clearing the House twice, the Farm Workforce Modernization Act stalled in the Senate during the 117th Congress, and failed to get a vote.  Now that a new Congress has been seated, what does that mean for the legislation.  Dan Newhouse, chair of the Western Caucus and one of the key sponsors of the bill says his office is working on a strategy to reintroduce legislation.   "What's it goi

Farm labor reform remains a priority for the American Farm Bureau Federation.  The Senate last year failed to advance the Farm Workforce Modernization Act, legislation put forward by central Washington’s Dan Newhouse and others.  It was a bill...

A bipartisan group of House members is urging the Senate to pass the Farm Workforce Modernization Act as the end of the current Congress quickly approaches.  The House has already cleared the bipartisan legislation twice, but it continually gets held up in the Senate.  Idaho R...

We’re roughly three weeks away from a new Congress being sworn in.  But before that happens, Dan Newhouse is hopeful the current Congress will take up the issue of Ag labor.  The Farm Workforce Modernization Act, which has cleared the U.S. House twice, currently...

The Farm Workforce Modernization Act awaits Senate action during the lame-duck session, and many in the farming community say this legislation is the closest meaningful immigration reform has come to the finish line in years.  Research by David Bier, Cato Institute associate director of immigration studies, said s farmers would save billions over the next few years if the Senate passes the legisla

Labor demands continue to tax the bottom lines of farmers and ranchers, with rising wage rates and record usage of the H-2A visa program.  The American Farm Bureau Federation said meaningful reforms to the federal government's guest worker program must be a priority for Congress by the end of the year.  AFBF an...

Only a few weeks remain for the 117th Congress, and the farming community is hopeful the lame duck session will address a few ag needs during that time.  One of the top issues across commodities in ag labor.  Bryan Searle, President of the Idaho Farm Bureau Federation said it’s still very hard to find workers.   “Nobody really w...

U.S. produce growers require a lot of labor, but they face a labor crisis in getting enough workers in the field and the packing houses.  Little Bear Produce, a grower-packer-shipper from the Rio Grande Valley in Texas, grows various food crops.  Br...