Source:  POLITICO'S MORNING AGRICULTURE, 4/24/19

When Congress returns from its Easter recess next week, negotiations over farm labor legislation are expected to ramp up. Leaders of the effort are hoping for a bipartisan deal that satisfies both farm and labor factions, Pro Ag's Liz Crampton reports this morning.

Overhauling the ag guest-worker system stands out as a potential area for cooperation amid the heated national immigration debate. Agricultural lobbyists and Hill staffers say the industry is largely united on a pathway to citizenship for ag laborers and an H-2A expansion.

But sources close to the negotiations caution that unity could splinter as talks progress, especially as 2020 campaigning heats up and President Donald Trump continues to supercharge the immigration debate.

"Our hope is that there's some sort of grand bargain and that our labor needs are addressed," said Nick Giordano, vice president and counsel of the National Pork Producers Council. "We know the odds are long."

Labor groups are less optimistic about the effort, and they generally oppose expanding H-2A to a year-round program. They're likely to push for priorities like higher overtime pay, better housing conditions and stronger rules to protect workers from heat exhaustion.

On the Hill: If House lawmakers are able to strike a bipartisan deal after recess, it'll likely take weeks to roll out compromise legislation. Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.), who chairs the House Judiciary Committee's immigration panel, said the committee wants to "get moving on this." (Senators are effectively waiting for the House to go first.)

Lofgren has introduced legislation with Senate Judiciary ranking member Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) that lobbyists expect will be the baseline for negotiations. The measure would allow farmworkers who have worked in the U.S. for at least 100 days over the last two years to apply for legal status under a so-called blue card.