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Congressman John Moolenaar
WASHINGTON, DC — Congressman John Moolenaar (R—Michigan) reintroduced “bipartisan legislation to address high costs Michigan farmers are required to pay due to Department of Labor regulations,” states a press release from his office.
The bill, the Supporting Farm Operations Act, would freeze the Adverse Effect Wage Rate (AEWR) for H-2A migrant farm workers at the 2023 rate through the end of 2026, states the press release.
“Michigan farmers hire H-2A workers to grow and harvest the food people around the world rely on every day. The Supporting Farm Operations Act ensures these farmers maintain a reliable, legal workforce and can still make ends meet. Our farmers have made it clear continued increases in their labor costs are unsustainable and would bankrupt them. My legislation will provide them with relief and help them stay in business,” said Moolenaar.
Michigan farmers who utilize the H-2A program are required to pay these employees $18.15 per hour, and many farmers also provide housing, and transportation for the workers. This rate is set annually for each state by the Department of Labor. Moolenaar’s legislation would freeze the AEWR for Michigan at $17.36 per hour, the rate set for 2023.
Moolenaar previously introduced the Supporting Farm Operations Act in 2024. The bill is cosponsored by representatives Jack Bergman (R-MI), Cliff Bentz (R-OR), Rick Crawford (R-AR), Daniel Webster (R-FL), Bill Huizenga (R-MI), Dan Meuser (R-PA), Hillary Scholten (D-MI), Frank Lucas (R-OK), Dan Newhouse (R-WA), Darin LaHood (R-IL), and Russ Fulcher (R-ID).
The bill has received an endorsement from multiple agriculture groups including the Michigan Farm Bureau, the American Farm Bureau Federation, the Michigan Vegetable Council, the U.S. Apple Association, the International Fresh Produce Association, the American Soybean Association, the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives, AmericanHort, and the National Christmas Tree Association.
“Michigan farmers who rely on seasonal guest workers are in critical need of a stable and predictable wage structure to be able to keep supplying consumers with a safe and affordable food supply that’s grown on our soil. We applaud Congressman Moolenaar and his colleagues for once again introducing common sense legislation that allows for a wage pause while Congress works with the White House to find a long-term solution. Michigan farmers are now counting on Congress to act swiftly and provide crucial relief,” said Michigan Farm Bureau President Ben LaCross.
“This bill prioritizes short-term relief for America’s farm families in the face of runaway costs,” said American Farm Bureau Federation Director of Government Affairs John Walt Boatright. “It is time to acknowledge and confront policies that threaten workforce stability and the economic sustainability of farms. America’s farm families applaud Rep. Moolenaar and his colleagues for their willingness to meet our longstanding labor challenges with solutions.”
“Michigan is now losing vegetable growers due to the Adverse Effect Wage Rate being unaffordable. This means more produce will be imported from foreign countries. It is critical that any land that is good for vegetable production stays American owned and continues to be available for future vegetable production. A two-year pause of the Adverse Effect Wage Rate will allow growers a window to survive and plan for the future. During the two years, farms can continue to implement new technologies to help offset the cost of a vegetable production workforce. Representative Moolenaar’s Supporting Farm Operations Act needs to be passed in the 119th Congress, preferably very early on,” said Greg Bird of the Michigan Vegetable Council.
“The U.S. Apple Association thanks Representative Moolenaar for leading this bipartisan effort to bring stability and relief for growers throughout the nation. The cost of growing apples increased 65 percent in three years, and the main culprit is the cost of labor. Nearly all apples are grown by multi-generational family farms and they cannot sustain another year of these cost increases. We call on the Congress to enact this freeze and pass common-sense reforms to the H-2A program,” said Jim Bair, President and CEO of the U.S. Apple Association.
“Producers across the nation are being crushed under the weight of skyrocketing labor costs, threatening the long-term viability of our fresh produce and floral industries. We commend Representative John Moolenaar for once again introducing the bipartisan ‘Supporting Farm Operations Act’ which takes a crucial step in addressing the unsustainable increases in the Adverse Effect Wage Rate (AEWR). Freezing the AEWR will provide much-needed stability and relief for growers who are essential to our nation’s food supply and driving our economy forward. IFPA remains committed to working with Congressman Moolenaar and others in Congress and the administration to reform our agricultural labor system so that American agriculture can compete in the global marketplace,” said Cathy Burns, CEO of the International Fresh Produce Association.
“The Supporting Farm Operations Act provides relief for growers at a time when farm input prices are up across the board,” said Caleb Ragland, American Soybean Association president and soybean farmer from Kentucky. “Farm costs continue to rise while at the same time commodity prices have dropped, and additional stress on margins only worsens the economic situation in rural America. While we continue to support a long-term solution for farm labor costs, the Adverse Effect Wage Rate freeze proposed in this legislation is a welcome reprieve. We appreciate Representative Moolenaar’s attention and dedication to this important issue.”
“Improving the H-2A program is critical to addressing agriculture’s labor needs and this bill will offer farmers, ranchers, and growers much-needed wage stability and predictability. Additionally, it aims to clarify how primary job duties are defined, better aligning with the realities of farm work, where handling multiple tasks as needed is common,” said Chuck Conner, president and CEO of the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives. “I appreciate the leadership of Congressman Moolenaar on this issue and look forward to collaborating with him and other lawmakers on the next steps toward modernizing the H-2A program and ensuring a stable agricultural workforce.”
“We support the efforts of Rep. John Moolenaar to address the challenges of the Adverse Effect Wage Rate (AEWR). The current AEWR places a significant financial burden on farmers and growers in Michigan and across the country. We look forward to working with Congress to reform the H-2A program and curb the escalating AEWR,” said Scott Powell, on behalf of Dutchman Tree Farms (MI), AmericanHort, and the National Christmas Tree Association.
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