With Legislative Clock Ticking, Time For Action On Immigration Reform
July 10, 2014 
On June 27, 2013, the Senate passed the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act, aka comprehensive immigration reform, with a bipartisan vote of 68-32. The bill included strong agriculture provisions negotiated and supported by USApple and our partners in the Agriculture Workforce Coalition (AWC). Founded by USApple and other key agricultural organizations including the American Farm Bureau Federation and the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives, the AWC is a broad-based agricultural coalition working to pass immigration reform.
The House’s Version
Since the Senate bill passed, USApple and the AWC have focused their attention on the House of Representatives and urged action on this critical issue. The process is very different in the House where the membership is decidedly more conservative and many congressional districts are not directly impacted by immigration policy. House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) has said repeatedly that he supports reform but won’t consider the Senate bill.
Rather than one “big” bill, Boehner and other House Republicans are pushing for a “piecemeal” approach where they would break the big issues — agriculture, high tech, legalization, border security — into individual bills to be debated and voted on separately.
There is an understanding among USApple and the other groups pushing for reform that the House is different from the Senate and needs to approach the issue in a way that reflects its membership. However, it is critical that any legislation include both short-term and long-term components to ensure that valued workers can continue to work in agriculture today and a viable guestworker program is established for tomorrow.
Time Is Running Out
This is the message that USApple and the other members of the AWC are delivering to Republicans and Democrats with a strong push to act this year. Time is running out. If Congress does not act before the New Year, the legislation passed by the Senate last year will expire and the whole process will have to start over. There are some who believe that might be OK, particularly if the Republicans take control of the Senate.
That is a big risk, particularly with so many jobs and businesses on the line. Even if the Republicans do take control of both Houses, any legislation that is to become law will need the approval of President Obama.
Like agriculture, the business and high tech sectors are not willing to roll the dice on a new Congress. Earlier this year, USApple joined nearly 650 organizations and companies in a letter spearheaded by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to Speaker Boehner demanding action. The letter concluded, “Immigration reform is an essential element of a jobs agenda and economic growth. We urge legislative action to seize this opportunity to fix our dysfunctional immigration system by enacting meaningful reforms this year.”
Talk To Your Representative
With the election fast approaching, the issue is sure to become even more politicized. Many members of Congress may be hesitant to do anything controversial. This is why it is so critical that House members hear directly from you, the voters in their districts. They will be spending more time in their home districts, attending events and meeting with constituents.
This is your opportunity to make a difference. Whether you bump into your Representative at the grocery store or church or you set up a formal meeting, let them know that immigration reform cannot wait. The message must focus on business, jobs, and the economic health of the community. Growers must not only talk about the need for seasonal workers but also emphasize the jobs those workers support.
The impact goes beyond the year-round jobs in your own operation and extends to the vendors you purchase boxes and equipment from, the truck drivers, marketers, and anyone else whose job is related to the fruit business. It is time to change the conversation from a debate about whether Americans will or won’t do harvest work to an acknowledgment that each harvest worker creates and supports three full-time jobs ranging from sales to transportation and marketing.
For more information about how you can get involved, please contact me directly at [email protected].
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