Patrick Leahy: “this modification is required by the authors of the bill in order for dairy provisions to be accepted into this bill. I…”

“this modification is required by the authors of the bill in order for dairy provisions to be accepted into this bill. I have attempted through this language to ensure as best we can that our Nation's dairy farmers have adequate access to labor in the future. This amendment only deals with prospective immigration and is focused on dairy only. Dairy is a year-round operation where interruptions to a farmer's labor force can have significant consequences--the H-2A provisions as they exist in the bill now do not adequately address the unique needs of dairy because they permit only 10-month terms of work. This sort of interruption does not work for dairy farmers, who need year-round, dependable employees. In the AgJOBS legislation that this body passed last year and that we reintroduced this year, I supported a much broader provision to address the unique needs of the dairy industry. That provision had the overwhelming endorsement of America's family dairy operations. Unfortunately, there were objections from the Bush administration and the authors of the bill now pending, so I have worked with the managers of this bill to craft this compromise. This modification would enable dairy farmers to have multiple avenues to employ legal workers in the future.”