Vilsack, Californians pressure McCarthy to support immigration reform
May 05, 2014 | 04:40 PM
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, United Farm Workers President Arturo Rodriguez and Nisei Farmers League President Manuel Cunha today held a news conference that seemed intended to put pressure on House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., to take a role in immigration reform.
The call took place only days after House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, said President Barack Obama needs to signal a different attitude that Republicans can trust if he wants immigration reform passed.
Also, Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, said conservatives would have to be organized to avoid immigration reform coming up and Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said lack of action on immigration reform will hurt the Republicans in upcoming elections. (See following stories.)
On the telephone call to reporters who were mostly from the nonagricultural media, Vilsack said California agriculture is endangered by the lack of immigration reform, noting that the state’s $33 billion farm economy is “very much dependent on farm workers.”
Without workers, he added, the United States cannot benefit from the full potential of American agriculture.
Arturo Rodriguez
Rodriguez said that all the members of Congress from the San Joaquin Valley have shown support for the immigration reform effort “in some way,” except McCarthy.
The Republican House leadership’s unwillingness to bring up immigration reform is a “my way or the highway” way of acting that is “un-American,” Rodriguez said.
He noted that the UFW has repeatedly sent delegations to McCarthy’s office to try to convince him to support immigration reform.
Manuel Cunha
Cunha, whose Nisei Farmers League started out in 1971 as an organization of Japanese-American farmers, but today represents a broader range of farmers on a variety of issues, took a different tactic, saying that McCarthy is a “great congressman” whose work on other issues is appreciated, but who should now “take a lead role and get this thing on the floor.”
Cunha emphasized he believes the lack of an effective immigration policy gives power to a “cartel” that trafficks in farm workers and abuses them by taking half their paychecks.
Republicans who oppose or avoid immigration reform, Cunha said, are supporting the cartels whether they realize or not.
“This call is mostly about getting Republicans off their butts to get this done,” he added.
Vilsack did not bring up McCarthy’s name, but in response to a question said that he believes both Boehner and House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., want immigration reform passed and that they should “work with Kevin McCarthy to get him to make a public statement.”
The secretary declined to comment directly on the statements made by King and Schumer, saying he wanted to keep the focus on the importance of immigration reform to American agriculture.
But he added that since immigration reform would help the economy, reduce the deficit and shore up Social Security, he could not understand why “anybody in public life” would oppose it and “why the House leaders have not yet been willing to get this thing on the floor and get it voted on.”
The call took place only days after House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, said President Barack Obama needs to signal a different attitude that Republicans can trust if he wants immigration reform passed.
Also, Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, said conservatives would have to be organized to avoid immigration reform coming up and Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said lack of action on immigration reform will hurt the Republicans in upcoming elections. (See following stories.)
On the telephone call to reporters who were mostly from the nonagricultural media, Vilsack said California agriculture is endangered by the lack of immigration reform, noting that the state’s $33 billion farm economy is “very much dependent on farm workers.”
Without workers, he added, the United States cannot benefit from the full potential of American agriculture.
Arturo Rodriguez
Rodriguez said that all the members of Congress from the San Joaquin Valley have shown support for the immigration reform effort “in some way,” except McCarthy.
The Republican House leadership’s unwillingness to bring up immigration reform is a “my way or the highway” way of acting that is “un-American,” Rodriguez said.
He noted that the UFW has repeatedly sent delegations to McCarthy’s office to try to convince him to support immigration reform.
Manuel Cunha
Cunha, whose Nisei Farmers League started out in 1971 as an organization of Japanese-American farmers, but today represents a broader range of farmers on a variety of issues, took a different tactic, saying that McCarthy is a “great congressman” whose work on other issues is appreciated, but who should now “take a lead role and get this thing on the floor.”
Cunha emphasized he believes the lack of an effective immigration policy gives power to a “cartel” that trafficks in farm workers and abuses them by taking half their paychecks.
Republicans who oppose or avoid immigration reform, Cunha said, are supporting the cartels whether they realize or not.
“This call is mostly about getting Republicans off their butts to get this done,” he added.
Vilsack did not bring up McCarthy’s name, but in response to a question said that he believes both Boehner and House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., want immigration reform passed and that they should “work with Kevin McCarthy to get him to make a public statement.”
The secretary declined to comment directly on the statements made by King and Schumer, saying he wanted to keep the focus on the importance of immigration reform to American agriculture.
But he added that since immigration reform would help the economy, reduce the deficit and shore up Social Security, he could not understand why “anybody in public life” would oppose it and “why the House leaders have not yet been willing to get this thing on the floor and get it voted on.”
