Source: POLITICO'S MORNING AGRICULTURE, 12/10/19

The House Rules Committee today will take up the sweeping ag labor legislation ahead of a House floor vote scheduled for Wednesday, reports Pro Ag's Liz Crampton. Reps. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) and Dan Newhouse (R-Wash.) are spearheading the effort to revamp the H-2A visa program for agricultural guestworkers, offer a path to legalization for farm laborers and set up a mandatory E-Verify system for farm employers nationwide.

The bill would also help dairy farmers and other producers who need year-round labor by providing an additional 40,000 green cards for farmworkers and granting three-year visas for workers in certain sectors.

Even though there's bipartisan support for the legislation, it could still spark a heated floor debate. That was the case in the House Judiciary Committee, which approved the bill last month on a party-line vote after Republicans complained that it provided "amnesty" to undocumented immigrants.

The measure is co-sponsored by 25 Republicans and 28 Democrats, including House Agriculture Chairman Collin Peterson.