Mr. President. I introduce a bill that would make needed reforms to the socalled H2A Program. the program intended by Congress in the Immigration and Nationality Act to allow for a reliable supply of legal. temporary. immigrant workers in the agricultural sector. under terms that also provide reasonable worker protections. when there is a shortage of domestic labor in this sector. Let me start by once again thanking my good friend. AL SIMPSON. the senior Senator from Wyoming. who agreed to including in the Illegal Immigration Reform conference report some compromise language regarding the Sense of the Congress on the H2A Program and requiring the General Accounting Office to review the effectiveness of the program by the end of the year. AL SIMPSON is a true friend. a statesman. and a dedicated public servant. The Senate will miss him and I will miss our working together on a regular basis. The language included in the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 is essentially the same as language agreed to in the conference report on fiscal year 1997 Agriculture Appropriations. With these provisions. the Congress now has gone on record twice on the importance of having a program that helps ensure an adequate work force for agricultural producers. This is an issue that of the utmost importance to this countrys farmers and ranchers. especially in light of the impact that immigration reform will have on the supply of agricultural labor. There is very real concern among Idaho farmers and throughout the country that these reforms will reduce the availability of agricultural workers. Farmers need access to an adequate supply of workers and want to have certainty that they are hiring a legal work force.
Keywords matched
immigrant Illegal Immigration Immigration immigration Immigrant H2A