Political Quotes

“I thank Senator Collins for her work on this issue. During the last logging season, 79 logging workers were granted H-2A visas for work in Maine. They were able to do this because the Department of Labor included logging employment as a covered occupation for the H-2A program by a December 18, 2008 rule. In the rule, the Department noted that they received two comments in support of including logging employment and no comments in opposition for purposes of the H-2A program. The Maine companies we have heard from are not looking for a special carve-out for the logging industry, but they want to make sure that their industry, which currently uses the H-2A program, is not excluded from the new W program that would replace the H-2A program. I ask the Senator from Vermont, who had such a hand in crafting this legislation, whether it is his understanding that the logging industry, specifically logging employment, as defined in title 20 of the Code of Federal Regulations in section 655.103(c)(4), would be able to access the new W agricultural program just as they have the H-2A program.”