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U.S. House Ag Committee dives deep into H-2A issues

A bipartisan U.S. House Ag Committee working group has released an interim report that digs into the challenges of the H-2A guest worker program.

Co-chair Rick Crawford of Arkansas tells Brownfield the group is narrowly focused on what improvements can be made for employers and employees in agriculture.

“We really haven’t done anything substantive with regard to H-2A for about 30 years,” he says.

Lawmakers spent several months hosting panel discussions and commissioned a nationwide survey of more than 800 producers for input.

“These producers are playing by the rules and they’re doing everything they can to try to cash flow,” he says.  “The piling on of rules primarily from the Department of Labor is making it untenable for these producers to stay in business.”

The number one concern of farmers using the program was the high cost and wages required to participate.  Crawford says, unfortunately, the committee is limited in what it can do.

“We don’t have any jurisdictional authority in any measurable way, so what we’re going to have to do is make recommendations and referrals to the committees of jurisdiction,” he explains.

A final report in the coming months is expected to include bipartisan solutions to reforming the H–2A program.