FW: AgJOBS Update: Sen. Craig Serious About AgJOBS

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available.

-----Original Message-----

From: Bruce Goldstein [mailto:bgoldstein@...]

Sent: Wednesday, February 09, 2005 9:32 AM

agjobs@...

Subject: AgJOBS Update: Sen. Craig Serious About AgJOBS

Farmworker Justice Fund, Inc. www.fwjustice.org AgJOBS Update: February

9, 2005

On Thursday, February 10, Sen. Larry Craig and Sen. Kennedy will

re-introduce the AgJOBS farmworker immigration legislation. A solid,

bipartisan group of Senators will join as cosponsors on this major

compromise between management and labor in agriculture. Sen. Craig, as

indicated by the article below, intends to move for a vote as quickly as

possible. On Thursday, there will be a press conference that will include

Arturo Rodiguez, President of the United Farm Workers, and grower

representatives, who will support the introduction of the bill. Rep.

Berman (D.-Calif.) and Rep. Cannon (R.-Utah) will be on hand. It's

the beginning of a new Congress and a new struggle.

Bruce Goldstein

Co-Executive Director

Farmworker Justice Fund, Inc.

1010 Vermont Ave., NW, Ste. 915

Washington, D.C. 20005

202-783-2628 fax: 783-2561

Twenty-four years of effective farmworker advocacy

BNA Daily Labor Report No. 26 Wednesday, February 9, 2005

Page A-2 News

Immigration

Sen. Craig Expects Senate Vote On 'AgJobs' Bill Within Two Months

Sen. Larry Craig (R-Idaho) told BNA Feb. 8 that he expects the Senate to

vote on a bill within two months that would streamline the temporary visa

program for foreign agriculture workers and allow some 500,000 undocumented

workers currently in the United States to earn green cards.

Craig said he will reintroduce the bill, dubbed " AgJobs, " in the next few

weeks. The measure reflects years of negotiations among farmworker advocates

and the agricultural industry. In the previous Congress, the bill had 63

co-sponsors in the Senate, enough to break a filibuster.

Craig said he has spoken with Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.)

and the White House about his plans to seek a vote for the bill early this

year. " I haven't had any push-back, " he said. He declined to predict whether

the Senate would vote on the bill as a stand-alone measure or as an

amendment to another bill.

Meanwhile, Frist told reporters after his regular luncheon with the

Republican caucus that he expects the Senate to debate some type of

immigration measure at some point this year, but he would not specify which

proposal would go to the floor.

Craig's bill would streamline the Labor Department's H-2A program, which

allows farmers to hire foreign workers on a temporary basis. It would

replace a cumbersome labor certification process for employers seeking such

workers with an attestation process similar to that used in DOL's H-1B

program for highly skilled foreign workers.

The measure's earned legalization opportunities for current agricultural

workers would not be extended to new entrants into the H-2A program under

the bill. Undocumented agriculture workers already associated with the

industry would be allowed to earn permanent legalization after working a

certain period in agricultural jobs.

In the past, Craig has characterized his bill as a " test " version of a

larger immigration proposal unveiled by Bush in January to create an

unlimited guestworker program that would be open to illegal immigrants (4

DLR AA-1, 1/8/04). In lobbying for the AgJobs bill, Craig also has said that

its earned legalization process for illegal immigrants represents the only

legislative language that has a chance of passing both houses of Congress.

Last year, administration officials expressed opposition to Craig's bill

because it represents a sector-specific approach to immigration law, while

President Bush favors a more comprehensive approach. Also, the White House

objected to provisions that guarantee legal status for illegal foreign

workers (138 DLR A-2, 7/20/04). Bush has said such workers should seek green

cards through normal channels.

DeLay Says Undocumented Workers Should Go Home

Meanwhile, House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas) told reporters Feb. 8

that he supports Bush's proposal to create a new guestworker program, but

added that those workers should be required to apply for temporary visas in

their home countries.

Foreign workers also should have jobs when they apply for temporary visas,

he said. In addition, they should not be allowed to come to the United

States with their families, DeLay said, and they should commit to returning

to their home countries after a certain period of time. " If they are here

illegally, they need to be picked up, and they need to be deported, " he

said.

DeLay said he would not object to allowing undocumented workers currently in

the United States to apply for visas under a guestworker program, but those

workers should be return to their home countries first. " They're not here to

stay permanently, they go home all the time, they're back and forth all the

time, " he said.

Responding to reports about a rift in the Republican party over immigration

policy, DeLay insisted that he and Bush are more or less in agreement on the

issue. " People are trying to make this a bigger schism than it is, " he said.

" We're not as far apart as you think we are. " End of article graphic

By Fawn H.