Agriculture

There is a reason one of the largest buildings in our nation’s capital is the Department of Agriculture. When it was built, Agriculture was the largest and most important industry in American life and for North Carolina. That fact still remains true today. Hard-working North Carolinians have managed these farm lands for generations and I promise to do my part and fight for the farmers of the 8th district. I will fight against unfair trade agreements that put North Carolina farms in jeopardy. I also believe that it is necessary to reform America’s economic trade policies. Our goal is to get other countries to remove unfair trade barriers and to lower tariffs, leveling the playing field.

It is not a coincidence that immigration concerns are brought up in regard to Agriculture. Farms across America, and many in North Carolina, have depended on a foreign workforce for years. The H-2A Visa program was created to allow foreign nationals to enter the United States legally for temporary seasonal agriculture work then return to their native country. I am aware of the concerns our farmers have on how inefficient the program is designed to meet their needs. I would like to reiterate that while I do support the purpose of the H-2A Visa program, in NO way do I support any form of amnesty as a solution to the workforce shortage.