Some Republicans buck bill for farmworkers to get legal status
âReconciliation is always a possibility,â a Senate leader says
July 23, 2021 11:48 AM
By Megan U. Boyanton
Top Democrats are weighing a pathway to bypass Republicans and revamp the immigration system for farmworkers to alleviate a labor shortage exacerbated by heat waves and pandemic-related dislocations.
Labor activists and agriculture industry groups are working together to push through
the Farm Workforce Modernization Act (H.R. 1603), which would create a program for agricultural workers to earn legal status. The House passed the bill in March. It has stalled in the Senate, raising the prospect of budget reconciliation, a maneuver that would allow Democrats to pass legislation without GOP support.