“It’s Not Rocket Science": Lawmakers want to address the Farm Workforce Modernization Act

Expanding market access is top of mind, but concerns still linger around farm labor. The Farm Workforce Modernization Act was reintroduced earlier this month, and Washington State Congressman Dan Newhouse says the bill boils down to common sense.

“It’s not rocket science what we’re trying to do. Basically, we want people to be able to come into our country legally, work on farms, in this case, in this legislation, where we need them. And when the work is done, and they want to go back home, they can do that legally as well, without fear of not being able to come back.”

Newhouse says other countries have successfully addressed their ag labor challenges, urging his colleagues to get to work.

Related Stories
Labor supply may shift, but uncertainty remains for producers.
Hiring may ease slightly, but labor shortages remain persistent.
New wage rules improve accuracy but may still raise labor costs.
The Trump Administration’s new rule limiting CDL renewals for immigrant truckers is seeing mixed reactions in agriculture. While some support the change, it is raising concerns about higher freight costs and impacts on U.S. grain export competitiveness.
RFD NEWS correspondent Frank McCaffrey recently spoke with Dr. Mike Vickers, a South Texas rancher, who says illegal border crossings have dramatically declined in the last year.
The American Farm Bureau Federation’s 2026 agenda centers on labor stability, biosecurity, and economic resilience for family farms. Expanded DMC coverage improves risk protection for dairy operations facing tighter margins.

LATEST STORIES BY THIS AUTHOR:

The “farm products rule,” and the 1985 Farm Bill modification and its application – that is the topic of today’s blog post from Agri-Legal Expert Roger McEowen.
Now that Washington lawmakers have passed a 45-day stopgap, they have some breathing room to work through some hot-button topics like the high cost of the upcoming Farm Bill, which is due in large part to the funding necessary to support the Nutrition Title.
A recent news story involving a group of farmers in Mississippi reveals the potential downside of selling grain under a deferred payment contract. The risk of deferred payment ag commodity sales and what can be done for protection—that is the topic of today’s blog post.
Recently, a bank in Texas got confused on the financing rules governing agricultural crops and lost its security interest as a result. Ag financing and priority rules among competing security interests—that is the topic of today’s post.
The classification of persons conducting farming operations for a farm landowner—that is the topic of today’s blog post by RFD-TV farm-legal expert Roger A. McEowen.