Although these findings are quite disturbing. they validate what I and others have suggested for some time. Taken as a whole. the GAO report establishes that (1) we must have more and better information about children working in the fields and the consequences of this work for their future. (2) we must provide better protections for these children. and better enforcement of existing laws. and (3) we need better assurances that current programs designed to help these children are really working. In its report. the GAO found that children who work as migrant and seasonal workers are treated as an underclass with few opportunities to improve their future. The report acknowledges that we in Congress no longer have the time or luxury to debate whether there is a domestic child labor problem. the report finds that there is a serious problem that must be addressed without further delay by the Congress. The GAO report reached a number of very disturbing conclusions: (1) hundreds of thousands of children work in U.S. agriculture with severe. often fatal. consequences for their health. wellbeing. and academic achievement. (2) children working in agriculture receive less protection under the law. allowing them to work at younger ages. longer hours. and in more hazardous tasks than their counterparts working in other industries. (3) weaknesses in enforcement and data collection procedures mean that child labor violations are not being detected. and (4) a number of programs are available to help educationally and economically disadvantaged children. but little is known about how they help migrant and seasonal farmworker children. Given these findings. it would be irresponsible to stand by and do nothing. In fact. the GAO in this report challenges the Congress to carefully evaluate whether current federal laws adequately protect children working in agriculture.