House Agriculture Committee Chair Glenn ‘G T’ Thompson has introduced an ag labor bill. Thompson said the modernization of the H-2A program is long overdue. “Congress has not updated the H-2A visa program since Ronald Reagan was president of the United States and if you ask anyone who uses the program, they’ll say you can tell that.” Immigration issues are outside the jurisdiction of the House Agriculture Committee, but Thompson said action is needed. The proposal is designed to expand access to ag labor, control costs, and streamline the overall process. Thompson’s bill has more than 40 original co-sponsors, and he expects widespread support for this legislation.
