Senate Republicans and Democrats are inching closer to a deal on an immigration bill that farmers say if passed could help reduce food prices in part by helping them hire more workers.
A Guatemalan immigrant worker spreads lime while preparing fresh bedding for the cows at Stein Family Farms in Caledonia, N.Y on Mar. 8, 2017.
That provision's biggest foe is the American Farm Bureau Federation. The Farm Bureau, often known for its more conservative stances, hasThe bill received large GOP support in the House, where it passed twice. And members are anxious for their Senate counterparts to finally finish writing and introduce a bill. The split within the GOP over agriculture labor reform, led by Farm Bureau influence, threatens the prospects of a final deal as time runs out.
Proponents of the immigration bill argue many of these laws are already broader and wider reaching than MSPA requirements, or in many cases even the same. The biggest difference: the possibility of workers filing lawsuits against their employers.in a federal district court. And unlike other laws, MSPA has specifically excluded H-2A visa workers — something the bill is looking to change.
Advocates say that with the increased number of visa workers, it is even more important to ensure all workers that do the same job have the same protections. Proponents of the bill argue the Farm Bureau is siding more with Southeastern growers, as opposed to those who may be willing to compromise. The New York Farm Bureau, who also happens to have a larger dairy industry, favors the legislation.
The sentiment even exists among traditional growers in the Southeast. Charles Wingard, a vegetable farmer in South Carolina, told NPR that he uses a blend of H-2A and domestic workers and has never had an issue with MSPA, nor does he have an issue with the expansion.
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