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Hosting Service Academy Day

This weekend, my office hosted Service Academy Day at the Museum of Aviation in Warner Robins. Every year, this event provides a great opportunity for our students to hear, and learn more, directly from the U.S. Service Academies about the great opportunities they offer.

I was proud to host representatives from each service academy, along with representatives from some of our great preparatory schools and ROTC programs. Thank you to all of the students and parents that attended and participated. It was a joy to see the excitement of our next generation of military leaders.

Also last week, the United States Department of Agriculture announced that they would be ending the burdensome Farm Labor Survey. I am pleased with this decision by Secretary Rollins and what this means for our farmers that depend on what has recently become an unsustainable H2A program. I will continue to work with House Agriculture Committee members and agency heads to find the most up-to-date solution to farm labor issues that works best for the agriculture industry and the consumer.

USDA Discontinues Farm Labor Survey Amid Rising Concerns Over AEWR

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced it will discontinue the Farm Labor Survey, a decision that may have significant implications for farm wage reporting and the future of agricultural labor programs like H-2A.

According to a filing in the Federal Register, USDA is ending the long-standing survey due to “recent improvements to the Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and wage statistic programs” which the agency describes as a “superior barometer for measuring farm wages.” The USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) also emphasized that the Farm Labor Survey is outdated, stating that it began in the 19th century and is “not designed for the current state of agriculture or labor.”

This decision comes at a time of growing dissatisfaction among agricultural employers regarding how the Adverse Effect Wage Rate (AEWR) is calculated—an issue particularly affecting Georgia growers. Chris Butts, Executive Vice President of the Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association, welcomed the move, stating:

“We have worked for years to gain a better understanding of the AEWR process that has resulted in massive increases, over 30% in three years for Georgia growers, but the process and resulting increases have remained a frustrating mystery. The AEWR increases in Georgia have pushed growers to the brink and have rendered the H-2A program unsustainable. We are grateful to Secretary Rollins and her team at USDA for demonstrating the leadership to bring an end to these unfair wages and to help restore a level playing field for our rural agricultural communities.”

While the USDA’s action may ease burdens for some growers, it also shifts the responsibility of farm wage reporting entirely to the Department of Labor. Industry stakeholders will now closely watch how this transition affects agricultural labor practices, H-2A program sustainability, and future wage determinations.

As the agricultural sector adapts to this change, growers, labor advocates, and policymakers alike will need to reassess how best to maintain fair and accurate compensation for farm workers nationwide.

Read the full article here.