Speech #1100008737

President. this amendment is an attempt to remedy a wage issue that is a tremendous burden for some of our Nations agricultural employers. There are about 1 million agricultural workers in the country today. and roughly half of them are illegal workers. As we expand the Border Patrols presence on the border and the efforts of our men and women on the Border Patrol become more successful. farmers and ranchers who have historically relied on an illegal workforce have started to feel the squeeze. and they should. A labor shortage has resulted in a number of areas. This labor shortage occurs because agriculture is a traditional gateway of illegal immigration into the United States. Many illegal immigrants come to the United States. work for a while on a farm. and. as they integrate into our society. they find different jobs. such as those in hospitality or construction. Therefore. the illegal agricultural workforce has continuously relied upon new workers crossing the border illegally and starting out on the farm. As a result of these events. a number of Senators and advocacy groups have argued for a greater urgency in immigration reform in the agricultural sector. I have spoken with farmers and ranchers all across America advocating immigration reform. and I always ask them: Do you use the H2A program? This is the legal temporary worker program in law today that allows for an unlimited number of temporary agricultural workers to come to the United States and work and then return to their home country and return again and again as needed. The primary response to my question is. they dont use the existing program. that it is too costly. and it is too bureaucratic. There are several other issues they have with the H2A program that I attempted to remedy in the context of the immigration debate last year. and I will continue to work