Los Angeles Times
By Brian Bennett
April 1, 2014
They were an ironclad voting bloc for Republicans.
But
the dynamics may be changing for agriculture business owners, who are
struggling to find American workers willing to do the physically
demanding work, and struggling
to find even undocumented workers amid stricter immigration enforcement
along the border and inside the United States.
And
while consumption of fresh produce by Americans has risen, the farmers
have not been able to benefit because domestic production has fallen
short, leading to a $1.4
billion annual loss in farm income, according to The New York Times.
The result: farmers are looking at the GOP as the culprit.
Republicans, some say, have blocked many of the changes in immigration policies that could resolve many of their labor problems.
And
so they have become one of the most vocal industry groups putting
pressure on Congress – particularly Republicans – to advance immigration
legislation, which has stalled
in the House of Representatives.
Tom
Nassif, president of the Western Growers Association, has made numerous
trips to Washington D.C. to plead the case for more flexible
immigration laws.
“We’ve
had secure borders with Mexico for the last decade,” he said, according
to the Times. “We don’t have that argument at this point. Now we want
people to see the
real damage of not doing anything, which is a declining work force, and
it means losing production to foreign countries.”
Some
Republicans are parting with their party on the issue and backing
Democrat-led immigration measures. Reps. David Valadao and Jeff Denham,
both of California, are
among a few Republicans who are supporting a measure in the House that
would provide a path to legal status for undocumented immigrants.
But
many Republicans are against supporting any measure that gives a break
to undocumented immigrants. They say that such measures amount to
amnesty, or rewarding law
breakers.
Saying they feel desperate, agricultural groups are opting to hold back campaign donations.
Nassif
said his group is withholding hundreds of thousands of dollars in
congressional races, an about-face from its generous support in the
past.
“I
can tell you if the Republicans don’t put something forward on
immigration, there is going to be a very loud hue and cry from us in
agriculture,” the Times quoted Nassif
as saying. “We are a tremendously important part of the party, and they
should not want to lose us.”
Mike Gempler, head of the Washington Growers League, is quoted in the Washington Post echoing the sentiment.
“We’re
seeing a lack of response to our needs and concerns from significant
parts of the Republican caucus in the House,” Gempler said. “They either
have ideological issues
or they are catering to a more reactionary crowd.”
For more information, go to: www.beverlyhillsimmigrationlaw.com
No comments:
Post a Comment