The time for agriculture labor reform is now

We must fix our broken immigration system and combat the rising food costs every single American across the country is facing right now, and we must do it now.

Agriculture producers across the country have been facing a labor shortage crisis for years, and recently, it’s only gotten worse. When I served as the Washington State Director of Agriculture, our governor made the decision to deploy prisoners to help pick apples—because there weren’t enough workers to do the job, domestic or foreign. And we’re no better off now than we were then. Currently, farms across Central Washington—including my own—are busy with harvest season, and I can tell you it is truly a struggle to find workers.

While I see firsthand the struggle our Central Washington producers face, this isn’t just an issue affecting Central Washington, this is a nationwide issue. Grocery bills are rising at the fastest pace we’ve seen in more than 40 years, and we know it’s because inputs, from labor to gas, are rising exponentially. Without an adequate workforce, crops will go unharvested, and our already-delicate food supply chain is placed further at risk.

That is why I introduced the Farm Workforce Modernization Act—to address these labor shortages and ensure we have a legal and reliable workforce for all of agriculture. By ensuring a legal and reliable agricultural workforce, we can secure our food supply, strengthen our national security, reduce food costs, and raise wages and reduce unemployment for all American workers by creating value-added, upstream jobs for Americans.

Yet, for some reason, my Senate counterparts are dragging their feet and holding off on introducing this bill.

When we’re in the midst of a labor crisis, why would we not pass labor reform? When we’re in the midst of a food crisis, why would we not implement change to ensure Americans are fed? When we’re in the midst of an inflationary crisis, why would we wait to lower food and production costs that Americans are desperate for?

We have the solution in front of us to reform our broken immigration laws and ensure that those who wish to pursue a legal pathway or come to our country to contribute to our agriculture industry are able to do so. We have a bill that will protect our communities, strengthen our national security, and secure our southern border, but also recognize the contributions of immigrants and bolster our local economies, producers, and small businesses. We have the answer to securing our food supply and ensuring American families can afford the groceries they need.

We just need our senators to do their jobs.

Join me and call on them to pass the Farm Workforce Modernization Act, today.