Giving an outlook on immigration reform and a view of what may be ahead for coronavirus relief, Robert Guenther of the United Fresh Produce Association spoke Feb. 22 with Tom Karst of The Packer.
Guenther, senior vice president of public policy at United Fresh Produce Association, said that President Joe Biden is backing immigration reform legislation that would transition millions of workers in the U.S. without proper documentation to legal status.
Recently introduced legislation in the House and the Senate has kick-started the immigration reform discussion, and Guenther said that debate will continue into the spring and summer.
The conventional wisdom, he said, is that immigration reform could most likely be accomplished in a series of smaller bills.
Guenther said industry leaders are hopeful that agriculture can be a part of any bipartisan legislation.
“The political folks acknowledge that, to get a bipartisan approach, you are going to need to include agriculture,” he said. “We have proven that a very strong bipartisan bill, like the Farm Workforce Modernization Act, can pass the House.”
Guenther also talked about the status of coronavirus relief programs and how the Biden administration will want to look closely at how those relief programs have been run under the Trump administration and make some changes.
While that is expected, Guenther said the scrutiny should not stop or long delay that the Farmers to Families Food Box Program and other assistance efforts.
“I think any suspension of the program, any delay in the program would be a huge mistake, not just not for (the industry’s) benefit, but for those who need it; the need is still great out there,” he said.
