House Ag Chairman GT Thompson to join dairy farmers for workforce roundtable, press conference at World Dairy Expo

U.S. House Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson will join dairy farmers at World Dairy Expo Oct. 1 for a roundtable focused on one of the industry’s most persistent challenges — securing a legal, reliable workforce for year-round agriculture. Chairman Thompson will also give a brief update on the ongoing work and accomplishments of his Committee and the status of the Farm Bill that passed the House earlier this year.

Hosted by the American Dairy Coalition (ADC), the Dairy Farmers’ Roundtable will focus on Thompson’s Securing Agriculture’s Workforce Act (H.R. 9535). The bipartisan legislation is designed to provide workforce solutions for dairy, livestock and other year-round agricultural employers whose labor needs do not fit within the existing seasonal H-2A program.

The legislation is the result of several years of work by the bipartisan Agricultural Labor Working Group convened by Thompson and now has the support of 60 bipartisan cosponsors from 30 states.

The roundtable will include dairy farmers along with other high-profile invited guests to be announced. It is an opportunity to engage on what the legislation actually does, and what is needed to move reforms forward.

“Dairy farmers have been asking Congress for years for a legal workforce solution that recognizes the reality that dairy work, milking and animal care are 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year,” said Laurie Fischer, CEO of the American Dairy Coalition. “This is an opportunity for farmers, industry and media to understand the commonsense solutions that have emerged from years of bipartisan work. We want farmers, policymakers and the public to read the bill and understand what it actually does.”

H.R. 9535 would establish a legal temporary H-2A non-immigrant status tied to continued agricultural employment, including experienced agricultural workers already in the U.S. It would also modernize the H-2A program and expand its usefulness for year-round agriculture. The legislation includes worker eligibility requirements, background checks, and employment requirements, along with reforms addressing agricultural wages and administration of the H-2A program.

Find ADC’s ‘Read the Bill’ Backgrounder here

The workforce discussion will be followed by a brief update from Chairman Thompson on the accomplishments and ongoing work of the House Agriculture Committee and the status of the Farm Bill that passed the House earlier this year.

Pre-registration is required. World Dairy Expo attendees may register at https://qrco.de/ADC-WDE-Register