Labor Secretary questioned on AEWR increases, department’s work with farmers

Rep. John Moolenaar (R-MI) questioned acting Department of Labor (DOL) Secretary Julie Su over how she and her department are working with farmers facing massive costs under the H-2A program.

During the House Appropriations Committee meeting held Wednesday, Moolenaar pointed out that DOL — which sets the Adverse Effect Wage Rates used for H-2A workers — has mandated increases that outpace inflation for the last 10 consecutive years.

“I'm hearing from fifth- and sixth-generation farmers that they may only have one or two years left before they are forced to leave the business,” Moolenaar said. “Even H-2A workers are concerned about the increases because they know their job will be lost if the farm goes out of business.”

Su replied that she’s heard concerns about AEWR rates under DOL rules, but said the department seeks input when making its rules, and that it needs to ensure “safeguards” are in place for U.S. workers doing the same jobs.

“There are negative consequences to that rule, forcing family farms out of business,” Moolenaar said. “And my question is: Are these intended consequences or unintended consequences with this policy? Because what I'm hearing you say is you've heard the message, and you're not concerned about it.”

While Su said she would be happy to have her team visit farmers who are affected by this to understand the impact of the AEWR costs, she added that the rule “was a very narrow part of how a AEWR is used.”