Farm Workforce Modernization Act of 2021
Floor Speech
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Mr. SIMPSON. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.
Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of the Farm Workforce Modernization Act.
For years, my constituents have been asking me to fix our Nation's broken immigration system. They have told me that the shortage of legal workers in agriculture is wreaking havoc on our farmers in rural communities.
That is why I joined with my good friends, Representatives Newhouse, Diaz-Balart, and LaMalfa to come up with a bipartisan solution to this problem. Along with Chairwoman Lofgren and other Democratic colleagues, we crafted a bill to create a merit-based agricultural immigration system for our Nation's food producers, and make much-needed reforms in the H-2A program.
But don't just take my word for it. There are over 250 agricultural industry groups from all across America that have written to Congress to support this bill. From potatoes and dairy in my district to citrus and strawberries in Florida and California, growers agree that this bill is good for agriculture and good for our country.
But I want to take a moment to address the current situation on our southern border. What is happening there is a crisis and we must address it. We all realize that. Unfortunately, years of congressional inaction has made ``immigration'' a toxic word. This bill is not about what is happening on the border, but that seems to be what all of the debate is about-- what is happening at the southern border.
This bill is not amnesty. It does not grant anybody amnesty. It allows individuals to get right with the law and to become part of the legal workforce in the United States. It is about providing a stable legal workforce for the people who put food on our tables.
This isn't a perfect bill. No one would agree that it is. But it is a very good compromise that actually gives us a chance to solve a real problem for our constituents. That is why I came to Congress, to do those things, and I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.
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