Congressional Hispanic Caucus Members Call on Congressional Leadership to Help Protect Farmworkers During COVID-19 Crisis

April 15, 2020
Press Release

WASHINGTON—Members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) are calling on Congressional leadership to include protection and financial assistance for farmworkers in future legislation to slow the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. In a letter led by Rep. Costa and Rep. Carbajal, CHC Members make key policy recommendations to ensure future coronavirus related legislation includes protections for farmworkers. Support for farmworkers is vital for our food supply and public health.

The letter was signed by CHC Chairman Joaquin Castro (TX-20), First Vice Chair Ruben Gallego (AZ-07), Second Vice Chair Nanette Diaz Barragán (CA-44), Whip Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), Freshman Representative Veronica Escobar (TX-16), Congressman Jim Costa (CA-16), Congressman Salud Carbajal (CA-24), Congressman Darren Soto (FL-09), Congressman José Serrano (NY-15), Congressman José Serrano (NY-15), Congressman Raúl M. Grijalva (AZ-3), Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard (CA-40), Congresswoman Linda T. Sánchez (CA-38), Congresswoman Grace F. Napolitano (CA-32), Congressman Ben Ray Luján (NM-3), Congressman Michael F.Q. San Nicolas (Guam-At Large), Congresswoman Norma Torres (CA-35), Congressman Vicente Gonzalez (TX-15), Congressman Mike Levin (CA-49), Congresswoman Debbie Mucarsel-Powell (FL-26), Congressman Filemon Vela (TX-34), Congressman Jimmy Gomez (CA-34), Congressman Tony Cárdenas (CA-29), Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), CongressmanHenry Cuellar (TX-28), Congressman Raul Ruiz, M.D. (CA-36), Congressman Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan (Northern Marina Islands-At Large), Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez (NY-12), Congressman Jesús "Chuy" García (IL-04), Congressman J. Luis Correa (CA-46), Congresswoman Sylvia R. Garcia (TX-29), Congressman Albio Sires (NJ-8),Congressman Juan Vargas (CA-51), Congressman Gilbert R. Cisneros, Jr. (CA-39), Congressman Pete Aguilar (CA-31), Congresswoman Xochitl Torres Small (NM-2), and Congresswoman Lori Trahan (MA-3).

"During this crisis, our frontline farmworkers are laboring every day to put food on America's dinner table and maintain the world food supply. As this virus threatens the resiliency of our food supply chains, it has never been more important to ensure the well-being of our agricultural producers and workforce," the Members wrote. "Farmworkers need our support. They should not live in fear. As this crisis evolves and Congress continues to explore response packages, we stand ready to work with you to ensure these protections are made available."

Full text of the letter follows and can be found here.

Dear Speaker Pelosi, Senator McConnell, Representative McCarthy, and Senator Schumer,

The Coronavirus health crisis has presented our nation with challenges unlike any we have seen in our lifetime. During this crisis, our frontline farmworkers are laboring every day to put food on America's dinner table and maintain the world food supply. As this virus threatens the resiliency of our food supply chains, it has never been more important to ensure the well-being of our agricultural producers and workforce. Future legislation in response to the coronavirus pandemic must include protections for these vital members of our communities.

Our nation's food security depends on the ability of farmworkers to continue to work safely to produce our nation's food. As members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus we have key recommendations for policies to support farmworkers and contain the spread of COVID-19 in agricultural communities:

  • Until the bipartisan Farm Workforce Modernization Act (H.R.5038) can become law, provide our essential agricultural workforce with legal protections from deportation.
  • Direct financial assistance to agricultural employers to: provide farmworkers with job security, pandemic premium pay (in line with pay for other frontline workers in our country's critical infrastructure), sick pay, and family leave; and disseminate and implement CDC recommendations on sanitation and social distancing in work sites, employer provided housing and transportation.
  • Ensure that farmworker families can feed themselves by requiring that recipients of federal nutrition funding to have dedicated efforts that specifically target farmworker communities.
  • Support the childcare needs of farmworkers by expanding the eligibility for childcare programs, along with additional funding and flexibility for the Migrant and Seasonal Head Start program.
  • Additional support for community health centers, in particular those in rural, agricultural communities.

Farmworkers need our support. They should not live in fear. As this crisis evolves and Congress continues to explore response packages, we stand ready to work with you to ensure these protections are made available. Hardworking farmworkers deserve and require our action. Their wellbeing and the stabilization of our food supply depend on these actions.

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The Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC), founded in December 1976, is organized as a Congressional Member organization, governed under the Rules of the U.S. House of Representatives. The CHC is dedicated to voicing and advancing, through the legislative process, issues affecting Hispanics in the United States, Puerto Rico and U.S. Territories.