In The News

Michigan’s Fourth Congressional District is home to the world’s hardest working agricultural producers. It’s not just in spirit either. Specialty crop operations are extremely labor-intensive with nearly 40 percent of total cash expenses spent on just labor.  Our local agricultural industry drives our regional economy, feeds families throughout our nation, and is recognized across the globe. Sadly, too many family farms in Michigan and across the nation are on the brink due to soaring input costs.

Washington should be working with our farmers to lower costs, not raise them. This is why I am proud to lead the effort to lower costs and help both family farms as well as the larger agricultural community.

Last week, I sent a letter with 119 of my colleagues to House Appropriations leaders requesting an H-2A visa guestworker wage freeze in the upcoming appropriations legislation. This simple policy fix would help lower input costs for the agricultural community and save family farms across the nation. This level of support for freezing the H-2A wage rate is significant because it represents the majority of the House Republican Conference (110) and even includes 10 House Democrats.

The “Adverse Effect Wage Rate (AEWR),” or the required wage that farm employers must pay H-2A workers, has more than doubled since 2005, making agricultural guest labor unaffordable and resulting in higher consumer costs. In Michigan, the AEWR will be a steep $18.50/hr, while our Canadian neighbors pay their agricultural workers closer to $11/hr. This uneven playing field greatly disadvantages our domestic producers.

For farmers and ranchers who use H-2A, the skyrocketing AEWR will only compound inflated input costs like energy and fertilizer, other guest worker expenses like transportation and housing, and burdens from several impending federal regulations and fees. A temporary wage freeze is a reasonable way to alleviate this financial burden and give our farmers a chance to compete, stay in business, and help put food on the table for millions of Americans.

If you need assistance navigating a federal agency, please contact my office in Holland at (616) 251-6741 or in Portage at (269) 569-8595.