LIMA (Ohio) NEWS

March 8, 2006

Farmers, politicians talk immigration reform

 

By TIM RAUSCH

WASHINGTON — The U.S. House of Representatives’ tough new immigration reform bill failed to address an issue dear to fruit and vegetable farmers: a guest workers visa.

 
House Majority Leader John Boehner, R-West Chester, told 75 Ohio Farm Bureau members on the Hill that a conference committee seeking a compromise on the House and Senate versions would be the time to fight to include immigrant farm worker provisions if they aren’t there.

“At the end of the day, the Senate is not likely to agree to a bill that doesn’t have a guest worker program in it. The question is what will the guest program look like. How does it operate? And how do we ensure that there is no amnesty in this bill,” Boehner said. “It is going to be a very difficult process. There is a reasonable chance we could see that provision.”

There are provisions to allow employers to temporarily recruit foreign workers, but it doesn’t work very well, said Pat Wolff, senior director for congressional relations at the American Farm Bureau.

Wolff said the Senate’s version of immigration reform is still under debate in a committee. Wolff urged Farm Bureau members to talk about adding a guest workers provision when they meet with Sens. Mike DeWine and George Voinovich.

“In years past, the American Farm Bureau never had to say where its work force came from. Now is the time to say so,” Wolff said. “Agriculture is more dependent than any other industry on immigrants.”

Wolff said if there were no way to bring in migrant workers, a third of the fruit and vegetable industry would be lost overnight, an impact of $5 billion to $9 billion.
   A new farm bill may come in the form of an extension of the current one.
   Boehner scoffed at the idea of waiting until a new World Trade Organization pact is approved before working on a new farm bill. “We could be waiting until hell freeze over.”
   Staffers with the American Farm Bureau said little has been accomplished at the WTO talks. Deadlines to lay down basic guidelines are in April and June.
   A Democrat on the House Agriculture Committee, Collin Peterson, of Minnesota, said a majority of farmers asked about the farm bill said they like the 2002 bill and would like to see it extended. It is a good idea, Peterson said, while waiting to see if the WTO will change any subsidy levels.
   Wolff said it may weaken the position of America’s trade negotiators working on the WTO, take away a bargaining chip, if subsidy levels were dropped before the grand trade pact was signed.
   County Farm Bureau presidents annually make the trek to Washington to lobby their lawmakers on important farm issues, Today, the presidents will be meeting with those legislators, as well as having a meeting with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.