Speech #960305895

Mr. Speaker. as the ranking minority member of the Committee on Agriculture I rise to reiterate my support of H.R. 7824. introduced by the gentleman from California and over 100 Members of the House (myself included). which is the same as the bill sponsored by Senator BOREN and 39 other Members of the other body and passed by that body as an amendment to the Child Nutrition Act . The purpose of H.R. 7824 is to restore the Farm Labor Contractor Registration Act to its original legislative intentnamely to stringently regulate irresponsible and unscrupulous contractors or crew leadersand thus to provide protection to migrant workers. By attempting to bring most of the Nations agricultural work force. including many who work in food processing plants. under this act. the Department of Labor seeks to legislate by regulation so as to broaden its iurisdiction. It may inevitably end up giving less protection to the true migrant workers that really need the protection. It has been pointed out that if H.R. 7824 prevails. most agricultural employers would be exempt from the act. including the prohibition against knowinglv employing illegal aliens. The answer to that argument is that when and if the Congress decides it is necessary to single out all agricultural employers and food processing employers in this country and subject them to such requirements and prohibitions. Congress should pass legislation to do so. The Department of Labor should not "legislate" by regulation beyond the authority delegated to it by the Congress. If the time comes when the Congress decides it may be necessary or in the public interest to stop all agricultural employers from employing illegal aliens. then I am of the opinion that such a law should apply to all employers. not just agricultural employers. After all. if we have over 10 million illegal aliens in this country. we surely must realize that only a small percentage of them are employed on farms. It is true that the language contained in H.R. 7672. the alternative bill to H.R. 7824. would totally exempt "some" socalled small family farms. but ohly a small fraction of agricultural employment would be exempted by the language in that bill. We have a complex situation in the ownership and operation of farms in this country.