Farm Workforce Modernization Act of 2021

Floor Speech

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Ms. PELOSI. Madam Speaker, I salute the gentleman for the excellent work of his committee, bringing this important legislation, H.R. 1603, the Farm Workforce Modernization Act, to the floor. I thank the chairman for this critical victory for farmworkers and growers, who have come together in support of this legislation, this legislation which ensures that America can continue to feed the world.

Thank you to Chair Zoe Lofgren, chair of the Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship, for her years of relentless leadership on behalf of farmworkers, without which this bill would not be possible. I sang her praises earlier as a former teacher of immigration, immigration lawyer, and chair of the Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship. She knows of what she legislates.

I think that it is clear to see there are a number of Californians involved in this. I want to salute Mr. Costa and Mr. Carbajal, who are an important part of this. They represent farmland in California. They know the needs of the workers. They respect the involvement of the growers.

This, again, is a wonderful bill. We salute many Members, representing every corner of the country, whose vision and values have strengthened this bill that has truly been a caucus- and Congress-wide effort.

Thank you to the United Farm Workers for their outstanding organizing which made this possible. In addition to our work internally, their outside mobilization is so important.

We are also inspired by the immortal words of our beloved Dolores Huerta: ``Yes, we can,'' ``Si, se puede.'' Yes, we can; yes, we will; and, yes, we are doing it. It was an honor last year at this time to celebrate her 90th birthday in the Rayburn Room, the last event we had before COVID took over. So here we are a year later. This is probably a better celebration.

Passing the Farm Workforce Modernization Act and doing so on a bipartisan basis was a source of pride in the last Congress, and it is now. With a Democratic majority in the Senate and President Biden in the White House, when we pass it again, it is with better assurance that it will become law.

The bill honors the millions of farmworkers who are the backbone of our economy, quietly persevering through harsh working conditions and low wages as they power the farm economy and put food on our tables.

As the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has written:

Recognizing the dignity of work of farmworkers and their families is a central concern.

Farmworkers produce the food that we eat and contribute to the care of our community.

This legislation, while long overdue, is urgently needed now, in light of the coronavirus crisis, which is forcing our essential farmworkers to live and work under a cloud of fear and uncertainty about their health and their jobs.

At the same time, the pandemic has accelerated a labor crisis in the farm economy that endangers farmers and producers and requires action. This action today is an agreement between the growers and the farmworkers.

This legislation supports workers and the farm economy with strong, smart reforms.

This bill provides a path to legalization for more than one million currently undocumented farmworkers. No one who works to feed our country should be condemned to permanent second-class status.

This bill establishes the agricultural workforce of the future by modernizing the H-2A initiative to ensure that farms have stable, secure workforces.

Critically, it demands fair, humane treatment for farmworkers by securing fairness in pay, improving access to quality housing, and ensuring robust safety and heat illness protections.

Any of us who have visited farmworkers in the fields--and some of our Members have been farmworkers themselves or children of farmworkers-- know the environment, the heat, the chemicals, and the rest, are a challenge.

This legislation is a critical step forward for our workers, for our growers, and the farm economy, but our work is not done.

Congress will continue to stabilize the farm economy, protect workers and families, and maintain America's agricultural preeminence in the world.

Under the leadership of President Biden, we will continue our work to fundamentally, fully fix our broken immigration system so that we can honor America's proud immigrant heritage and advance a better future for all.

Earlier, I quoted President Reagan. I want to do so again more fully. Earlier, when I spoke on the floor about Dreamers, I did so for 8 hours and 6 minutes. I promised earlier today to be shorter, and so I didn't give as much of President Reagan's speech.

This is what he said: ``And since this is the last speech that I will give as President, I think it's fitting to leave one final thought, an observation about a country which I love.''

He went on to talk about the Statue of Liberty, Madam Speaker. He said: ``The torch of Lady Liberty symbolizes our freedom and represents our heritage, the compact with our parents, our grandparents, and our ancestors. It is that lady who gives us our great and special place in the world. For it's the great life force of each generation of new Americans that guarantees that America's triumph shall continue unsurpassed into the next century and beyond. Other countries may seek to compete with us; but in one vital area, as a beacon of freedom and opportunity that draws the people of the world, no country on Earth comes close.''

As I said earlier, he said: ``This, I believe, is one of the most important sources of America's greatness. We lead the world because, unique among nations, we draw our people--our strength--from every country and every corner of the world. And by doing so we continuously renew and enrich our Nation. While other countries cling to the stale past, here in America we breathe life into dreams. We create the future, and the world follows us into tomorrow. Thanks to each wave''-- President Reagan said--``Thanks to each wave of new arrivals to this land of opportunity, we're a Nation forever young, forever bursting with energy and new ideas, and always on the cutting edge, always leading the world to the next frontier. This quality is vital to our future as a Nation. If we ever closed the door to new Americans, our leadership in the world would soon be lost.''

This being the last speech that I will give as President, President Reagan said, ``I think it's fitting to leave one final thought, an observation about a country which I love.''

As we remember the words of President Reagan, I also recall the words of the late Cesar Chavez, whose birthday we celebrate later this month. He said: ``To make a great dream come true, the first requirement is a great capacity to dream; the second is persistence.''

Thanks to all of our bipartisan Members for their persistence on this legislation for which I urge a strong bipartisan ``aye'' vote.

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