FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Thursday, May 23
CONTACT: Marisa Melton, (208) 743 - 1388, marisa.melton@mail.house.gov
Congressman Fulcher Joins Effort to Save Family Farms and Enact H-2A Wage Freeze
WASHINGTON D.C. - This week, Congressman Russ Fulcher (R-ID) joined Congressman Bill Huizenga (R-MI) and 119 of their colleagues on a letter to House Appropriations leaders requesting an H-2A visa guestworker wage freeze in the upcoming appropriations process.
This simple policy fix would help lower input costs for the agricultural community and save family farms across the nation. The level of support for freezing the H-2A wage rate is significant because it represents the majority of the House Republican Conference (110) and even includes 10 House Democrats.
The Adverse Effect Wage Rate (AEWR), or the required wage that farm employers must pay H-2A workers more than doubled since 2005, making agricultural labor and its products more unaffordable. With the nation’s average AEWR reaching $17.55/hr in 2024 (more than a 5% increase year over year) and other inflated input costs including fuel and fertilizer, many farms are in danger of going out of business.
"There are over 21,000 family farms across Idaho that play a critical role in the state's economy," Congressman Fulcher said. "I joined my colleagues in sending this letter to help farmers, ranchers, and producers stay in business by calling for the end of arbitrary costs being imposed by the federal government."
“Too many family farms in Michigan and across the nation are on the brink due to soaring input costs,” Congressman Bill Huizenga said. “Farmers, growers, and producers often work from sunup to sundown. Washington should be working with our farmers to lower costs, not raise them. I am proud to lead this effort that includes the majority of House Republicans to lower costs and help both family farms as well as the larger agricultural community.”
The full text of the letter is available HERE
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