May 21, 2009
Agriculture Amnesty Bailout Bill (AgJOBS) Reintroduced in Congress
With the California unemployment rate at 11.2%, one of the highest in the nation, Sen. Feinstein seems intent on adding "fuel to the fire". She apparently has no regard for her state's currently unemployed and wants to heap another 2 million under educated, social service resource draining, taxpayer dependent job competitors onto the already devastated California economy. She cites a "shortage" of agricultural/farm labor as one justification for this bill. Sen. Feinstein apparently has little or no concern for her state's current legal citizens' plight.
On Thursday, May 14, Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Representative Adam Putnam (R-FL) reintroduced the Agricultural Job Opportunities, Benefits and Security (AgJOBS) Act. AgJOBS would grant amnesty to at least 2 million illegal alien agricultural workers and "reform" the H-2A temporary agricultural worker program to allow employers easier access to cheap foreign labor. While actual text of the bill hasn't yet been made public, it appears that the bill will be equivalent to versions Congress has debated in the past. (See FAIR's Legislative Analysis of the 2007 Version of AgJOBS).
Feinstein gave an extensive speech on the Senate floor last Thursday morning in support of AgJOBS, claiming that Congress needs to pass her amnesty bill because of "a farm emergency in this country" brought about by "the absence of farm labor." [Again, apparently she is not concerned with the 11.2% unemployed in her state] These claims ignore numerous, recent news reports that California agriculture is suffering from severe drought, financial downturn and unemployment. (See e.g. The New York Times, Feb. 21, 2009). [Well, of course she ignores it! How else would you expect her to make her point?] Nevertheless, Senator Feinstein used her floor time to resurrect previously told stories about farmers hurt by worker shortages, including Lake County, California pear farmer Toni Scully. (Senator Feinstein's Floor Speech, May 14, 2009). Scully's story was first told in 2006, and Feinstein "used a three-year-old photo of Scully to help make her case." (The Miami Herald, May 14, 2009). [What a shocker, a politician using old, outdated, irrelevant or even fabricated information to push an agenda? NO, say it isn't so! /sarcasm off]
Media reports noted that special interest farm groups are already lining up to support AgJOBS, including the United Farm Workers of America and the California Farm Bureau Federation. (Id.). It is unclear as to whether Congressional leadership intends to move the legislation. In the past, Senator Feinstein has pushed Congressional Leadership to include AgJOBS in any "comprehensive" immigration reform package. (Senator Feinstein Press Release, May 17, 2007).
Sen. Feinstein needs to spend a bit more time worrying about the sweetheart contracts her husband's companies are getting from the Stimulous Package Bail Outs and less about getting another 2 million illegal aliens amnesty so they can vote for her next election.
