Bipartisan agreement on need for more farm workers

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Republicans and Democrats are joining together to demand changes to the nation's farm worker program as Congress looks to rework U.S. immigration laws.

Lawmakers and witnesses at a House Judiciary subcommittee hearing Tuesday said the visa program that allows farmers to hire foreign workers is so unwieldy it accounts for only a very small percentage of the hundreds of thousands of farm workers hired in the U.S. And half or more of agriculture workers are here illegally, experts agree.

These workers play a critical role to the U.S. economy and food supply. But farmers and growers say their productivity and ability to keep operations in the U.S. is threatened by difficulties ensuring a stable labor supply, and that must change. Meanwhile workers said they should get more protections.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2013-02-26-Immigration-Farm%20Workers/id-08dd8ad2a7594ba9bd829e72a6069a01

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