Agricultural News
Farm Bill and Immigration Reform Action Needed, Vilsack Says
Fri, 17 May 2013 15:38:44 CDT
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack is calling on Congress to pass legislation he says is crucial to American farmers. He told a farm broadcasters' gathering that Congress has a chance to show that Washington can work for American producers.
"And I think in both immigration and in the five year farm program we have two great opportunities to send a message to people across the country that Democrats and Republicans, Senate members and House members can work together to solve problems and get things done," Vilsack said.
He says with compromises regarding financial safety nets, price support and payment caps, the time is right to pass a farm bill providing long term solutions for rural America.
"So this five year program really is the roadmap, if you will, for revitalizing the rural economy and rebuilding the rural economy so that we begin to compliment production agriculture and offer other alternatives for young people as we continue to become efficient and effective in agricultural production."
Vilsack said he also hopes immigration roadblocks are solved so that a bill providing for additional farm labor can be passed.
"It compliments that stable workforce with a guest worker system that is calibrated to be able to meet the worker needs of agribusiness and agriculture without creating an oversupply of labor that would potentially drive wages down and eliminate opportunities for Americans. So I'm sincerely hopeful that the efforts to derail immigration reform are not successful and that we get a bill through the Senate and through the House and to the President's desk at some point in time this year."
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