I just received this email:

Thank you for writing me regarding the number of foreign agricultural workers in the United States. I appreciate your thoughts on this matter and welcome the opportunity to respond.



I understand your concerns about the impact of foreign guest workers on California and the country as a whole. In general, I believe that U.S. businesses should hire American workers. The government should also create and enforce limits on the number of employment visas made available in the United States.



At the same time, American agriculture is facing a serious crisis. Across the country, farmers report that they do not have enough labor to plant, tend and harvest their crops. The California Farm Bureau reports labor shortages as high as 30% and as a result, growers are not planting to their full capacity, crops have been left un-harvested, and farmers have no choice but to allow the land to lie fallow. The labor shortage is forcing too many farmers to close shop or move their operations to Mexico. A conservative estimate cites that more than 22,000 jobs and 84,000 acres of agricultural production have moved to Mexico in recent years. As you may know, California's 77,000 farms alone produce half of the Nation's fruits, vegetables, and nuts. The United States cannot afford to lose this to foreign competition.



The fact is that many Americans refuse to do this work. A couple of years ago, I asked my staff to file advertisements with welfare employment offices throughout the State of California. Despite such efforts, no American workers ended up responding. We must take immediate action to provide a stable and legal workforce for American growers in order to maintain a safe and healthy food supply.



I am considering emergency legislation that would provide temporary legal status for some agriculture workers and reform the H-2A program. This legislation would provide a temporary, legal workforce for our Nation's agricultural producers, without providing a green card. I am hopeful that this emergency proposal could provide short-term relief to American farmers while Congress re-examines broader immigration reform.



Again, thank you for your letter. If you have additional questions, please feel free to contact my Washington, D.C. staff at (202) 224-3841. Best regards.

Sincerely yours,

Dianne Feinstein
United States Senator

Further information about my position on issues of concern to California and the Nation are available at my website http://feinstein.senate.gov/public/.