Commentary: Valadao vote on Farm Workforce Modernization Act shows his bipartisanship

We have seen too little bipartisanship in Washington, D.C. over the last several years. The vitriol is at an all-time high, and very few seek to change the current culture of Congress.

So many issues get labeled as Republican or Democrat, and anyone who takes a position outside of party lines is labeled a dreaded “compromiser” or worse, “traitor.”

However, the issues facing our farming communities require bold leadership and elected officials who are willing to advocate for positions that may be difficult for them among their party. Whether this is Valley Democrats who will stand up to the environmental activists on the left or Republicans who will stand up for our immigrant communities against more anti-immigration hardliners on the right.

David Valadao is one such political leader. He campaigned on the promise that he would work across the aisle to find reforms of our broken immigration system. He told his voters that he would come to Washington and fight to develop a guest worker program that would facilitate a reliable workforce for the agriculture-rich Central Valley. He said he would reach across the aisle to find real solutions. He promised all of these things, and that is exactly what he is doing.

Both in previous terms as well as in the current Congress, David Valadao has proved that he is a strong voice for sensible agriculture policies in the Republican conference. Previously, he worked closely with the Obama administration to deliver more water to the Central Valley and has continued those conversations through both the Trump administration and now the Biden administration.

Since returning to Washington, David Valadao has worked with Republicans and Democrats alike to ensure the needs of the farmers and farm workers of Central Valley were met when negotiating the Farm Workforce Modernization Act.

This legislation makes critical changes to the H-2A visa program, streamlining and making it more accessible to farmers in this state, which depends on skilled labor to plant and harvest crops and care for livestock. The legislation also provides legal status to the men and women who have been working on our farms and participating in our communities for years.

Additionally, this legislation affords dairy producers access to a steady and legal workforce by making them eligible for H-2A temporary agricultural visas.

As a lifelong dairyman, David Valadao knows the importance of farmworkers and availability of skilled labor firsthand. This is exactly why we need his voice in Congress.

While the Farm Worker Modernization Act will continue to make its way through the legislative process in the Senate, the advocacy of Congressman Valadao played a pivotal role in ensuring that the immigration debate includes critical reforms for the agriculture community.

Leadership isn’t doing the right thing when it is easy; it is leading well even when it can be costly among your political friends. We could use more elected officials like David Valadao who put pragmatic principles and solutions ahead of party and politics.