East Michigan News

Congressman John Moolenaar has introduced the Freeze AEWR & Restore Monetary Sense (FARMS) Act, aimed at providing more stability for Michigan farmers who employ H-2A temporary agricultural workers. The legislation is a response to the Department of Labor's current inability to accurately calculate the Adverse Effect Wage Rate (AEWR) for 2026, which determines wages for these workers.

The FARMS Act would give the Department of Labor authority to freeze the AEWR for up to two years if there is no valid calculation method available. This measure is intended to give officials time to develop a long-term solution that includes input from farmers in setting future wage rates.

"Michigan farmers who rely on the H-2A program deserve to have a stable and predictable wage rate for their employees. Unfortunately, the Department of Labor's previous methodology took farmers out of the equation, and increased the AEWR by over 60% in the last decade. The FARMS Act is a commonsense proposal to give the Labor Department the authority to freeze the AEWR, while it engages with farmers to find a long-term solution that allows Michigan farmers to thrive and continue to provide the food we rely on every day," said Moolenaar.

In August, a federal court struck down the Department of Labor’s method for calculating AEWR, requiring a return to its prior formula. However, at about the same time, the Department of Agriculture ended its Farm Labor Survey, which had been part of that process. The proposed legislation aims to reduce uncertainty for farmers using H-2A laborers during this period of transition.

The bill is cosponsored by several members of Congress including GT Thompson (R-PA), Chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture; Bill Huizenga (R-MI); Claudia Tenney (R-NY); Elise Stefanik (R-NY); Russ Fulcher (R-ID); Tony Gonzales (R-TX); Michael Guest (R-MS); Robert Aderholt (R-AL); and Ralph Norman (R-SC).

John Moolenaar currently serves as U.S. Representative for Michigan’s 2nd district since 2015 after succeeding Dave Camp. He previously served in both chambers of Michigan’s state legislature and was born in Midland, Michigan in 1961.