Page 54 - MNLGA Free State Winter 2023_WEB

News

AMERICANHORT A

from

the Hill

Shutdown Averted, But for How Long?

The House passed its latest continuing resolution (CR) on
a bipartisan vote of 336-95. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA-
04) put the plan on the House floor this week, despite
opposition from hardliners in his party because it doesn’t
cut government spending or change programs. The
legislation now heads to the Senate, where it should pass
before Friday’s deadline. Senate Majority Leader Chuck
Schumer (D-NY) and Republican leader Mitch McConnell
(R-KY) both said they anticipate quick passage of the bill.
The Johnson CR would fund some parts of the government
through January 19 and others through February 2, setting 14, after the DOL refused to extend it despite many
up the possibility of yet another shutdown deadline on stakeholder requests.
Groundhog Day. The bill would extend until January 19 The proposed rule represents a stunning overreach under
funding for the departments of Veterans Affairs, Energy, the guise of new burdens and obligations DOL argues
Agriculture, Transportation, as well as Housing and Urban are needed to protect workers from abuse. Some of the
Development, with the rest of the government, including proposed changes seek to circumvent Congressional
Defense, extended to February 2. The CR stopgap also intent, which exempted agricultural workers from various
extends the 2019 Farm Bill set to run out in January through provisions of the National Labor Relations Act, by imposing
September 30, 2024. NLRA-like provisions through regulation. DOL also seeks to
Matt Mika require growers to provide access to workers on the farm,
despite the relatively recent Cedar Point decision, which
deemed such access a “taking.”
Comment Period Ends on Latest H-2A Regulatory If DOL chooses to finalize the rule in anything near its
Overreach
current form, we anticipate it will face legal challenges.
AmericanHort and federal advocacy partner the National Meanwhile, this rulemaking initiative is the third in a rather
Christmas Tree Association filed official comments (see compressed time period, with new program rules that took
link below) on the Department of Labor’s (DOL) latest effect just over one year ago and a new wage rule that took
proposed changes to the H-2A agricultural worker effect at the end of March 2023.
program. The comment period ended on November

54 WINTER 2023 • Free State News