U.S. Rep. Glenn “GT” Thompson, who hosted his annual agricultural summit in Centre County Monday, said the need for temporary farm workers is one of the things he's working on as chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture.
It comes as President Trump’s administration continues its crackdown on migrants.
Thompson, a Republican, said he plans to introduce legislation to reform the H-2A program that allows workers from other countries to temporarily fill agricultural jobs.
“We need to have provisions in place," Thompson said after the summit. "Like the legislation I'm preparing to introduce to make sure we have a continuity in the pipeline for the agricultural workforce.”
Thompson said there are some workers from other countries who are here legally. And, he noted, it can be difficult for employers to find Americans willing to do all of the ag work. He said having people to fill the jobs is key.
“Because without the workforce we have food insecurity and with food insecurity we have national insecurity," he said.
Thompson also defended President Trump’s actions on tariffs, saying it’s time for a “reset.”
“At the end of the day, I think we as American consumers are going to benefit," he said.
On another topic, Thompson, whose district covers a large swath of northcentral Pennsylvania, said he plans to run for reelection next year.
