The Senate version of the Affordable and Secure Food Act was not considered by the Senate during the lame-duck session, either as a free-standing Bill or as an addendum to the Omnibus Spending Bill.
The U.S. is reliant on foreign workers admitted to the U.S. on H-2A visas. Producers of fruit and produce, especially in western states, have campaigned for changes in the allocation of H-2A visas, including the need for at least 100,000 additional workers for the crop and livestock sectors.
The Bill introduced by Senator Michael Bennet (D-CO) and Senator Michael Crapo (R-ID) would have reformed the H-2A visa program. Undocumented agricultural workers would have been allowed to work legally in the U.S. following an application and review of credentials. The Bill would have provided a path to permanent resident status following 5½ years of legal residency. The Bill would have established wage standards, have allowed workers to switch employers and improved standards of housing and transportation for field workers.
Senator Ben
net stated, “Congress has once again failed to deliver the reforms that the fresh produce industry and its agricultural allies have long fought for.” He added, “We do not have to accept hundreds of thousands of people living in the shadows when they work every single day to feed the American people.” In his address to the Senate, Bennet stated, “We should not accept crushing food prices for families because this Congress can’t reform an antiquated H-2A program.”
The agricultural industry is committed to continuing the effort to reform the guest labor system in the 118th Congress.