Russell Boening - President, Texas Farm Bureau Joins Houston's Morning News

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Okay, as mentioned now and good morning once again Bob Franz,
sitting in for Jimmy. The Agriculture Secretary Brook Rowlins, flanked
by Pete haig Seth and Christy nom and Pambani and others,
made it clear that there will be a one hundred
percent American workforce and agriculture as a matter of national security.
In other words, she said there will be no amnesty
to stop even farm workers if they're here in the

(00:22):
country illegally from being deported. The question is, though, is
she one hundred percent or is their prioritization joining us now?
Is Russell Baining, President Texas Farm Bureau with some thoughts
on this Russell, Good.

Speaker 2 (00:35):
Morning, Good morning, Bob.

Speaker 1 (00:39):
Did you take that Did you take that statement from
Secretary Rollins as being direct that there will be no
amnesty because she did hint at prioritization depending on what
needs are. So are we really looking at no amnesty
or are there going to be some people who have
been or given a bit of a pass, if you will,
on their immigration status.

Speaker 2 (00:58):
Well, Bob, I guess you know what, don't We always
say words matter, and you know there's been talked about
a about improving our I think our H two A
program was mentioned, and of course that's under the Department
of Labor. So there's some improvements needed to the H
two A program. The Department of Labor is working on that.

(01:21):
And of course there's a good percentage of the workforce
in agriculture that quite frankly, is illegal. That when we
know that we don't know exactly what the numbers are.
We we're hearing there may be some type of guest
worker program that these folks can get in line and

(01:41):
possibly go. We're also hearing the same words that you
heard that there will be no amnesty. And I think
the amnesty word really goes back to the eighties, right
when we had when we had the eighty six, the
nineteen eighty six law that was passed. And the way
the way I look at amnesty is a pathway citizenship.
And we've you know, we've been in touch with these

(02:04):
folks and with our congressional representatives, and we're looking for
a better guest worker program in agriculture. That's what we're
looking for. We're not nobody's, no one that I know
of this pushing for the amnestybl It's just a matter
of having a more reliable legal workforce.

Speaker 1 (02:26):
Right, And you know, I agree with that there has
to be a legal work program in which people can
come here legally and work. But she said that we're
looking for one hundred percent, one hundred percent American labor
force when it comes to our agriculture. And I think
that part of that might be in response to China's
growing presidence in American agriculture. They bought a ton of farmland.

(02:50):
And then she also said something about did Secretary rollins
about thirty four million medicaid recipients who aren't working, who
certainly can go to work, talking about taking those people
and putting them in the in the fields.

Speaker 2 (03:04):
Well, I mean, if there's able bodied people that are
coming off of medicaid and quite frankly seek a job
in agriculture and are capable of doing it, agricultures agriculture
is ready to hire any you know, American workers that
are capable and willing to do the work. Quite often

(03:25):
found that it's it's it's not a sale or anything
on some of these jobs. It's it's the environment. I mean,
it's quite often it's in the elements, uh, whether it
be hot, whether it be cold. Uh, you're outside and
a lot of these jobs. So I think I go
back to my statement earlier. You know, agricultures looking for

(03:48):
a stable workforce. If it's if it's Americans, of course
we're totally ready for that. But quite frankly, there's jobs
I think in agriculture that many Americans don't either don't
want to take or don't have to take. Many of
those jobs in the historical have been done by immigrants.

Speaker 1 (04:10):
Again, no question, and Russell, I'm gonna interrupt you there
only because of our time and also we're starting to
get a broken signal from you. So thank you for
your thoughts this morning on this Russell Baining, President of
the Texas Farm Bureau. Yeah, clearly we would prefer to
have an all American workforce, but you're right, sometimes you
do have to rely on foreign labor. We just asked
that it be legal foreign labor, not illegal immigrants being

(04:31):
given amnesty to stay. Thank you, Russell, appreciate you.