Newhouse Provides Critical Relief for Agriculture Industry, Expands Labor Access

Press Release

Today, Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) released the following statement after the House Committee on Appropriations approved an amendment introduced by Reps. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) and Henry Cuellar (D-TX) to the Fiscal Year 2022 Homeland Security Appropriations Act. Rep. Newhouse and Rep. Cuellar's amendment would allow the H-2A temporary agriculture guestworker program to be accessed year-round for Fiscal Year 2022, opening the program to producers in all sectors of agriculture, including dairy, greenhouses, and other agricultural operations with year-round labor needs. The amendment was adopted by voice vote.

"Our farmers and ranchers are in desperate need of a legal and reliable workforce," said Rep. Newhouse. "Unfortunately, the H-2A program does not work for all of agriculture. As farming methods have become less seasonal or able to produce multiple harvests, the H-2A program must be updated to meet the needs of the agriculture industry. This amendment supports legal immigration while making H-2A more workable for farmers."

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