04.25.23

Hoeven Cosponsors CRA to Protect Farmers, Overturn Labor Rule

WASHINGTON – Senator John Hoeven this week joined Senators Tim Scott (R-S.C.) and Ted Budd (R-N.C.) in introducing a resolution of disapproval under the Congressional Review Act (CRA) to overturn a misguided rule from the Department of Labor (DoL) that will drastically increase costs for American farmers. The H-2A visa program helps American farms fill farm labor gaps and remain sufficiently staffed for the planting, cultivating and harvesting of crops. The new DoL rule inflates H-2A wage rates and enacts separate and higher wages for several job types on farms. This rule creates a massive administrative burden for all farmers utilizing the H-2A program, who will have to separately track every activity of every employee on their farms to avoid violating the new rule.

“At a time when American farmers are facing high input costs and families are struggling to pay for groceries, the Biden administration wants to raise food prices,” said Hoeven, a senior member of the Senate Agriculture Committee. “This proposed rule by the Biden administration is the wrong approach and undermines our farmers’ ability to produce the highest quality, lowest cost food supply in the world.”

Along with Hoeven, Scott and Budd, the resolution is sponsored by Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Senators Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), Roger Marshall (R-Kansas), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Mike Braun (R-Ind.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), John Kennedy (R-La.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Katie Britt (R-Ala.) and Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.). 

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