Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) co-sponsored legislation that will help provide relief for Washington state’s agriculture needs. The bill, the Agricultural Job Opportunities, Benefits and Security Act (AgJOBS) would reform the broken H-2A seasonal worker program, provide farmers with the stable and legal workforce they deserve, and offer a pathway to citizenship for hard-working, law-abiding immigrants already employed on American farms. The legislation was introduced today by Senator Diane Feinstein (D-CA).
“Our state’s economic base depends on our growers and they depend on seasonal workers,” said Senator Murray. “So with our economy struggling, it’s even more important for us to move forward with a responsible guest worker program that gives our farmers access to the labor they desperately need.
“I’ve heard from farmers that have had to leave their fruit to rot because they didn’t have the workforce to make due. Especially in today’s economy, that is waste we cannot afford.”
The AgJobs bill:
- Ensures that foreign farmworkers, who have been working and paying taxes in the U.S., receive proper legal protections;
- Provides better working conditions for farmworkers in the U.S., and;
- Helps to secure a legal and dependable workforce for our farmers.
For details on this bill visit HERE.
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