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Burns behind bill to let in ag workers

By NOELLE STRAUB
Gazette Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON -- Despite his stand against allowing illegal immigrants to gain legal status, Sen. Conrad Burns, R-Mont., co-sponsored a bill that would grant such a pathway for illegal aliens already in the country who work in agriculture for several years.

A version of the bill was incorporated into the immigration legislation that the Senate recently passed.

The measure, commonly called the AgJobs bill, was first introduced in February 2005 by Sen. Larry Craig, R-Idaho. It has 47 co-sponsors besides Burns, including Sen. Trent Lott, R-Miss., to Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass.

Although he co-sponsored the bill, Burns voted during the recent Senate immigration debate for an amendment that would have stripped out the provisions allowing undocumented agriculture workers to gain legal status.
The AgJobs measure directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to grant qualifying alien agricultural workers and their spouses and minor children temporary resident status and then lawful permanent resident status upon the fulfillment of specified agricultural work and residency requirements.

It would allow about 1.2 million illegal immigrants already in the United States to earn legal status, Craig said.

As passed by the Senate, the workers in order to be granted legal permanent residence must prove they have already been performing agricultural work in the United States during previous years and then continue to work at least 150 work days for three more years.

The bill would also reform and expand the H2A program, which allows guest workers into the country for agriculture jobs temporarily; they must leave when the work is done.

A Burns spokesman said the senator supported the AgJob bills because of provisions that will help Montana agriculture.

"Many of the reforms to the H2A program that have been proposed in this bill are long overdue and necessary to ensuring that we have a stable workforce for the agriculture industry," said Matt Mackowiak.

He noted that during the Senate immigration debate, Burns voted for an amendment that would have struck from the bill all the sections allowing the legalization of undocumented workers, including from the agriculture worker program.

"He felt those provisions were unnecessary and essentially amounted to amnesty for illegal aliens," Mackowiak said.

Burns voted against the final immigration bill.

Mackowiak added, "Senator Burns' position on illegal immigration has been clear: secure the border and no amnesty."

Craig, who wrote the bill that Burns co-sponsored, said some would classify it as amnesty.

"Is it amnesty?" Craig asked in an April floor speech. "Well, somebody will call it that. Others have already called it that. I call it earning a status. They have to pay a fine. They have to pay a $500 fine. They have to have a background check. If they have a legal record of misconduct and criminal conduct, they don't qualify."

A spokeswoman for Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., said he supports the bill.

"Agriculture is the backbone of Montana's economy and Max works every day to help Montana's farmers and ranchers," said Sara Kuban. "That's why Max supports the AgJobs bill. The AgJobs bill enables workers to come and help Montana producers get the work on the farm or the ranch done. It's good for agriculture and it's good for the state's economy."

Baucus voted against the amendment that would have stripped all the pathways to legal status for undocumented workers and voted for the final immigration bill.

The House passed an immigration bill that focuses on border security and does not include any guest worker or path to citizenship provisions, so the two chambers must still hammer out a compromise.