Angie Craig: “as of April of 2006, the average fieldworker in the United States was paid $8.96 an hour. The average livestock worker…”

“as of April of 2006, the average fieldworker in the United States was paid $8.96 an hour. The average livestock worker was paid $9.30 an hour. The minimum wage is $5.15. Do the math. That is why, when we put this bill together, we said we have to get it right for all parties involved. I agree with the Senator from Georgia, producers are willing to pay a fair wage. And they should. And workers who work as hard as agricultural workers ought to be paid a fair and good wage. At the same time, we compete in a world market, and I hope we stay there. I don't think you can meet with one farm organization and establish what the prevailing wage is going to be. That is why we mandated in our bill that the Department of Labor work with agriculture to get it right because we conclude that the H-2A adverse effect wage rate got out of line. I don't know what the right wage is. I wager that the Senator from Georgia probably doesn't know where it ought to be, either, in every segment of agriculture in our country. I wish the Senators would stay with the bill and vote down the Chambliss amendment because in the end we want to get it right for all involved. We want to keep American agriculture competitive in a world market.”