Many of the specialty agriculture harvests I represent in central Washington have not become mechanized and the crops must be carefully stored for longterm availability. Because of the perishable nature of the commodities. two issues before Congress are of particular interest to me at this time. I question whether the Immigration Reform and Control Act as reported out of the Judiciary Committee provides fair or enforceable answers for agriculture. The specialty work in my district is beginning now with asparagus cutting and will continue through October with the final phase of apple harvest. The Panetta/Morrison temporary guestworker amendment provides an insurance policy for growers for those times when there are not enough domestic workers for a specific harvest. and I hope all Members interested in continuing the success of American agriculture will take a close look at our reasonable proposal.
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Immigration