John Moolenaar Asks Labor Sec. Lori Chavez-DeRemer About Collaboration With Agriculture Dept.

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During a House Appropriations Committee hearing on Thursday, Rep. John Moolenaar (R-MI) questioned Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer about cross-department collaboration.

Transcript

00:00The chair recognizes Representative Molinar.

00:03Thank you, Madam Chair and Secretary Chavez-Darim.

00:06Nice to see you.

00:07Welcome back.

00:09And appreciate you being here with us today.

00:11Glad to be here.

00:12And I've appreciated our conversations over the years,

00:15and you represented a state that has a lot of agricultural activity

00:22and understand, I know based on your time in Congress,

00:26you were involved in the workforce issues and agriculture,

00:30and I want to follow up on some of the discussion you've already had

00:35on the H-2A-AWER situation in Michigan.

00:40Have you been to Michigan before?

00:42Oh, sir, I used to live in Michigan.

00:44Well, we need you to come back.

00:46I used to live in Ann Arbor, and my daughter lives in Saginaw now,

00:48so I was just there visiting my grandson.

00:50Well, we want you to come back.

00:53Glad to do it.

00:54Love to have you meet with some of our farmers,

00:57some of our fifth-, sixth-generation fruit growers, vegetable growers,

01:01who are really under tremendous financial stress right now.

01:07And it's because of a federal mandate that increases the cost of labor for them,

01:12the H-2A.

01:14And so in Michigan, you have these farmers.

01:17They're paying transportation for their workers.

01:20They're paying housing, and then they're also forced to pay over $18 an hour.

01:27And they just can't make it anymore.

01:30And so there's an urgency.

01:32It's a huge importance.

01:34I know, you know, based on your willingness to work on this,

01:40and I appreciate that, and I know the chairman talked with you about it.

01:43But what I would propose is working with Secretary Rollins.

01:50We brought this up the other day in the Agricultural Subcommittee,

01:55and she pledged to work on this as well.

01:57And I think the two of you and your teams working together,

02:02I know we've already done some calls on this, could really help resolve this.

02:07And I know there's a process that needs to take place, but there's also an urgency.

02:12So I've introduced legislation similar to what Representative Clyde mentioned,

02:17pausing the increase for two years just to give some relief as we work on a longer-term solution.

02:26And I know some of the litigation issues, and you don't necessarily want to comment one way or another,

02:33but I would welcome your technical input on that legislation

02:38and would welcome being part of any work group that could be established to help resolve this,

02:44both on a short-term basis as well as a long-term basis.

02:47Absolutely.

02:48And so any technical assistance that we can give you through the Department of Labor, ETA,

02:52and specifically I'm glad to do it as you follow through with any legislation that Congress is working toward.

02:59As in regards to Secretary Rollins, we visit often in regards to how the workforce

03:06and agriculture really collide all the time.

03:10And then working with Secretary Noem as well on just the H programs.

03:14One of the things that I heard as a member of Congress and in working with a lot of you

03:18was the dedication on just the systems in play themselves.

03:21And sometimes navigating that for our farmers and ranchers has been quite difficult.

03:26And so we're working on that through the Department of Labor,

03:28and I've directed my team to make sure that there is a dedicated focus to either members of Congress

03:32and or, you know, respective states who need to say,

03:36I just need some help navigating this because time is money.

03:39We understand that.

03:40We understand the workforce matters.

03:42And so we're working hard in that process, and I'll continue to do so really at the direction of the president

03:48that we have seen that all secretaries to work together to understand what's happening.

03:52And then the workforce, you know, that pipeline is much needed oftentimes and is so different in every state.

03:59And I also just wanted to follow up, being familiar with Michigan, as you are.

04:05Mackinac Island is a very special place.

04:07Oh, yes, been there.

04:07And, you know, one of the things a lot of people don't realize is the H-2B visa is very much in use there.

04:16Because of the process where there's a cap on that and sometimes there's a lottery

04:22where people don't know if they're going to get, you know, the H-2B workers that they need,

04:28they're in a situation where they don't know if they can open their business.

04:31And so it actually costs American jobs because businesses that employ H-2B workers as well as local area workers don't have that certainty.

04:44And it would be an issue of working with Secretary Noem and yourself,

04:49and we would welcome your help lifting that cap or at least providing the certainty

04:54so that more people can get the workers they need on Mackinac Island.

04:58No, thank you for bringing that up.

05:00It's important, and I'll continue to work with the other secretaries as it takes all different agencies to determine this.

05:05And streamlining that and working together is going to be key,

05:07and we'll continue down that road so that it's more efficient for the people who are using the programs themselves.

05:13Can I ask one last quick question?

05:16I've been meeting, you know, in Michigan.

05:18We have 83 counties.

05:19A lot of the counties have county fairs.

05:22They have, you know, the carnival rides and the workforce they need for that.

05:27And that's another area where I would ask you to consider what options might be available

05:32because that's so important to the rural communities.

05:35We want to grow all the workforce that's needed here to supplement and supply our American workers and our American businesses.

05:42So I will.

05:43And if you can, at that fair, have some Mackinac Island fudge ice cream.

05:47I'd appreciate it.

05:48Thank you very much.

05:50Of course.

05:50Say you'll bet.

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