The American Farm Bureau Federation is calling on all members of Congress to support House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte in his goal of including the AG Act in the Securing America’s Future Act.

About the Securing America’s Future Act:

“We are at a crisis point in agriculture,” American Farm Bureau President Zippy Duvall said.  “Chairman Bob Goodlatte wants to address our problem and has included the AG Act in pending legislation related to the DACA issue. Chairman Goodlatte’s AG Act would establish a new H-2C agriculture worker program that is far superior to the existing H-2A program. The new H-2C program offers a much brighter future for agriculture.  For farmers in sectors like dairy, mushrooms and others, who are excluded from H-2A and have nowhere else to turn, the H-2C program offers a path forward in meeting their future labor needs.

“At the same time, we are continuing to work with Chairman Goodlatte and other members of Congress to provide greater assurances on how the AG Act would affect our existing workforce,” Duvall said.  “Farmers today rely on these workers. They sustain our farms. They are part of the fabric of many rural economies. Farm Bureau policy supports providing these workers the opportunity to earn permanent legal status. That is our goal and we will do everything we can to achieve it.”

Goodlatte’s Agricultural Guestworker Act passed the House Judiciary Committee on Oct. 25, 2017. The bill, H.R. 4092, creates a new agricultural guestworker program, the H-2C guestworker program, which is designed to cover year-round employers, including dairies, food processors and aquaculture operations.

Source: AFBF