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Act Now to Support AgJOBS 2009!

Send a letter to Congress today urging them to pass AgJOBS 2009. Simply fill out the privacy-protected registration form below and then click the Take Action button to send this letter to your Member of Congress.

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Our current immigration laws are threatening the ability of American farmers to provide the volume of quality food that our country needs.  The agriculture industry depends on foreign and migrant workers.  However, the current immigration process makes it very difficult for workers to enter the country legally for various agriculture jobs.  Without an adequate labor force, thousands of American farms will fail, threatening more than 3 million jobs, and causing agricultural income to drop by $5 -- $9 billion.

In 2006 and 2007, there were serious farm labor shortages in many places in the country, which led to devastating economic losses.  In 2008, Texas A&M found that 77 percent of vegetable famers reported scaling back operations.  Furthermore, more than 80,000 acres of California-grown produce has been moved to other countries.  We need new policies to ensure the agriculture industry has access to the workers they need so that we can maintain profitability in our agricultural sector.

Congress must enact the AgJOBS 2009 bill, which would provide an effective, legal means for foreign laborers to work in the agriculture industry.  This law would provide access to much-needed labor, and it includes measures to improve border security at the same time.

I urge you to support the AgJOBS 2009 bill that will streamline the legal immigration process, in order to help ensure America's farmers have the labor supply they need to provide the food we need.

Without an adequate agriculture workforce, we are in serious danger of losing control of our food supply—many of our nation’s farm families will fail, U.S. farms will foreclose, and will continue to move labor-intensive agriculture production offshore. This will result in the loss of tens of thousands of American Jobs and could compromise the abundance, quality, and safety of the food we and our families consume. There is an emerging global food crisis, and we cannot afford to delay any longer. We need to fix the farm labor crisis now. Permanent reforms may require more time, but we can take steps this year to protect U.S. farms and domestic food production.

There is a solution that will provide relief now. Congress can pass AgJOBS 2009.

Tell Congress: SAVE U.S. FARMS AND HELP PROTECT THE SAFETY AND CERTAINTY OF OUR FOOD SUPPLY.

Five Reasons AgJobs Needs Your Support Now.

AgJOBS Can Help Save American Farms.
(click for more)
- AgJOBS can help reduce the farm labor shortage that is threatening our nation's agriculture infrastructure. In 2006 and 2007, labor shortages and crop losses were reported from coast to coast due to the labor shortage. In 2008, Texas A&M reported that 77% of vegetable farmers reported scaling back operations. More than 80,000 acres of fresh produce that used to be grown in California have been moved to other countries. If the labor situation is not addressed by Congress, thousands of farms could fail and farm income could drop by $5 - $9 billion.
AgJOBS Can Help Save Three Million or More American Jobs. (click for more)

AgJOBS Can Help Guarantee the Quality and Safety of Our Food Supply.
(click for more)
- Without adequate farm labor, America will be forced to import a significant portion of our food supply from outside our borders. Between 1990 and 2006, fresh fruit and vegetable imports steadily took market share from U.S. producers. As a result, we will become more dependent on foreign nations for our health and well-being, beyond the watchful eye of our own federal health and safety regulations.
AgJOBS Can Solve the Farm Labor Crisis and Enhance Our Nation’s Border Security. (click for more)
- The agriculture industry depends on a foreign workforce to fulfill its labor needs. It's estimated that as much as 70 percent of the farm workforce is undocumented, but there is no easy way for employers to confirm documentation. AgJOBS will encourage legal work status in the U.S. by offering an opportunity to earn legal status to farm workers with a proven history of work and good behavior, if they are willing to meet strict conditions like paying fines and committing to future farm work. AgJOBS will also provide simplified labor applications and temporary worker permits to seasonal workers who will be able to enter, work, and return safely and legally. The H-2A process currently in place makes it extremely difficult, expensive, and time-consuming to recruit and retain farm workers. Reforming H-2A is the long-term solution to ensuring a stable, legal farm labor force. AgJOBS streamlines the H-2A process without sacrificing domestic security or labor protections for foreign workers.
AgJOBS is being Considered by Congress Now! You Can Make a Difference by Acting Today. (click for more)
- AgJOBS (S.1038 and H.R.2414) is a bipartisan, time-tested solution to the farm labor crisis. Farm labor shortages are nothing new--America has been facing them for years. AgJOBS reflects years of negotiations between employer and worker representatives on complex and divisive farm labor issues. It's a workable compromise between historic adversaries--and it should be supported by Congress. It's time for solutions, not more political gridlock that is bad for America.

Help Save U.S. Farms and the Security of Our Nation's Food Supply! Support AgJobs.

Act Now!

Act Now to Support AgJOBS 2009!

Five Reasons AgJobs Needs Your Support Now.

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