As the Biden Administration rolls out the American Jobs Plan, there is a focus on helping agriculture and rural America. Pete Buttigieg, the new U.S. Secretary of Transportation, says transportation and infrastructure are vital for rural areas. The American Jobs Plan is a $2.3 trillion investment in infrastructure, the issue now is getting members from both parties and both chambers …
Warnock Wants Unnecessary Trade Barriers Removed
Last week, Georgia Senator Raphael Warnock toured various areas of Southwest Georgia agriculture to address the need of farmers. Tyron Spearman talked with the Senator at one of those stops where he noted his number one goal is to get Washington to remove what he says are unnecessary barriers for trade and better working conditions. Sponsored ContentNuseed Carinata Covers New GroundJuly 31, 2024CIR Agriculture Harvester …
House Hearing will be Foundation for Anti-Discrimination Legislation
Last week, the U.S. House Agriculture Committee held a hearing to review the state of U.S. black farmers. Committee Chairman David Scott from Georgia said the hearing will lead to future anti-discrimination legislation. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack says American agriculture needs much more diversity. The new American Rescue Plan introduced by the Biden administration does include steps to help address discrimination …
Department of Labor Targeting Southeast Agriculture
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division is engaged in an education and enforcement initiative to increase compliance with federal labor laws in the Southeast’s agricultural industry. In addition to enforcement activity, the initiative provides compliance assistance to employers and educates workers and other stakeholders. The division is working with industry stakeholders in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, …
House Passes Ag Workforce Bill
(NAFB) — “Farmworkers are vital to the wellbeing of our country and our economy,” says President Joe Biden. “For generations, farmworkers across America, many of whom aren’t in the country legally, have worked countless hours to feed our nation and ensure our communities are healthy and strong.” He says that’s even more clear because of COVID-19. Democrat Zoe Lofgren of …
Agriculture Included in New COVID-19 Relief Package
The $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package, known as “The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021” is now official as President Biden signed the bill late last week. We’ve all heard how the package will include $1,400 stimulus checks for qualifying individuals, extends unemployment benefits, and more. But it also increases assistance through USDA’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). And according …
Farm Workforce Modernization Act Introduced in U.S. House
The legislation was introduced this week in the U.S. House of Representatives that would reform the H-2A visa program to address the agricultural labor shortage. The “Farm Workforce Modernization Act”, introduced by Representatives Zoe Lofgren from California and Dan Newhouse of Washington, would amend the H-2A program to allow a capped number of visas for farmworkers to work year-round. In …
Hours of Service Mandate Extended Through May
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) recently announced the Hours-of-Service (HOS) was extended once again. The current extension of the emergency declaration was set to expire on February 28, 2021, but the new extension takes it through the month of May. National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) Executive Director of Government Affairs Allison Rivera notes this …
Biden Immigration Bill Introduced in Congress
(NAFB) — Senator Bob Menendez of New Jersey and Representative Linda Sanchez of California, both Democrats, introduced President Biden’s immigration proposal into their respective chambers. The Hagstrom Report says both members of Congress say the bill will “create an earned pathway to citizenship for all 11 million undocumented immigrants, providing Dreamers, Temporary Protective Status holders, and some farm workers with …
Fried & FDACS Launch Bilingual Farmworker Vaccine Education Campaign
With the COVID-19 vaccine becoming available for at-risk populations in Florida, Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services launched a bilingual vaccine education campaign to encourage COVID-19 vaccination among Florida’s farmworkers and agriculture community. A recent study found that food and agricultural workers are among those most at risk of death from COVID-19, facing a 39 percent increase in excess …