Category: US Senate

Source: United States Senator for Connecticut – Chris Murphy

WASHINGTON–U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), and U.S. Representatives Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.-3), John Larson (D-Conn.-1), Joe Courtney (D-Conn.-2), Jim Himes (D-Conn.-4), and Jahana Hayes (D-Conn.-5) on Monday sent a letter to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack requesting the Department create an Urban Service Center in Connecticut to provide technical assistance and federal support to the state’s growing number of urban farmers. Since 2020, the state of Connecticut has received seven grants through the Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production program, which have supported urban agriculture programs in places like New Haven, Hartford, Thompson, and Waterbury.

“These Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production grants have been transformational for communities in our state, but a need for technical assistance and federal support still remains. Our urban farmers report challenges accessing assistance through traditional USDA channels like the Farm Service Agency or Natural Resource Conservation Service offices. Additionally, because urban farms are often very small operations, urban farmers frequently need technical assistance to complete projects. Opening an Urban Service Center would support urban farmers throughout the state, helping them receive better access to USDA staff and desperately-needed targeted support,” the members wrote.

The members continued: “In Connecticut, urban agriculture is serving the nutritional needs of some of the poorest communities in our state and is helping to provide fresh produce to families and individuals living in food deserts. However, this expansion needs comprehensive support in order to retain these new farming enterprises. For these reasons, we urge USDA to open and maintain and Urban Service Center in Connecticut to serve urban producers from every corner of our state and the southern New England region as a whole.”

Full text of the letter is available here and below.

Dear Secretary Vilsack,

We write to request that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) expand the Urban County Committees (UCOC) Urban Service Centers to include a center in Connecticut.

Connecticut is a densely populated state with a thriving urban agriculture sector. Approximately 80% of Connecticut’s population lives in or near an urban area, and with 738 people per square mile, the state ranks 4th nationwide in overall population density. This population density is not concentrated in a single large city, but instead is spread out over a number of small cities, including Bridgeport, New Haven, Hartford, Waterbury, Enfield, Norwich, and others. In fact, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, Connecticut has 17 urban areas, 9 urbanized areas, and 8 urban clusters. While USDA has already identified several large cities for new Urban Service Centers, no center has been identified that could serve the southern New England region generally. Adding a center in Connecticut that could serve people throughout the state would be value-additive to the portfolio of centers throughout the country.

Urban farming has grown significantly in Connecticut over the past decade. Since 2020, the state of Connecticut has received seven grants through the Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production program, which have helped to support the development of an Urban Agriculture Master Plan in New Haven; the expansion of growing and greenhouse spaces that serve beginning and underemployed farmers in Hartford; the planning for a new small business service center focused on agriculture and food businesses in Thompson; the design of a greenhouse for hydroponic crops in Waterbury; and a new Urban Roots gardening program at the Chrysalis Center in Hartford.

These Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production grants have been transformational for communities in our state, but a need for technical assistance and federal support still remains. Our urban farmers report challenges accessing assistance through traditional USDA channels like the Farm Service Agency or Natural Resource Conservation Service offices. Additionally, because urban farms are often very small operations, urban farmers frequently need technical assistance to complete projects. Opening an Urban Service Center would support urban farmers throughout the state, helping them receive better access to USDA staff and desperately-needed targeted support.

Thank you for your consideration of this request. We share the goals of the agency to support all types of agricultural producers in the country, including our region. In Connecticut, urban agriculture is serving the nutritional needs of some of the poorest communities in our state and is helping to provide fresh produce to families and individuals living in food deserts. However, this expansion needs comprehensive support in order to retain these new farming enterprises. For these reasons, we urge USDA to open and maintain and Urban Service Center in Connecticut to serve urban producers from every corner of our state and the southern New England region as a whole.

Sincerely,

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Source: United States Senator for Connecticut – Chris Murphy

WASHINGTON–U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Todd Young (R-Ind.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), and Tim Kaine (D-Va.) on Tuesday released a new report by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) which found the use of non-compete agreements (NCAs) is widespread throughout the U.S. labor market and serves to protect the stated interests of businesses while restricting job mobility, lowering wages for workers, and discouraging innovation.

In 2019, the Senators requested a nonpartisan GAO investigation into the prevalence and effects of NCAs on workers and the economy as a whole. Their letter cited concerns about the spread of these agreements from highly technical fields into lower wage work, and the impact they could have on entrepreneurship and innovation, economic and wage growth, and productivity and competition in labor markets.

GAO reviewed existing studies, surveyed 446 private sector employers, and conducted a separate survey of 25 state attorney general offices on state statutes related to NCAs. GAO also interviewed stakeholders, such as worker advocates, employer groups, and researchers, and reviewed relevant federal laws.

In its report, GAO estimated that 18% of workers were subject to NCAs at the time the study was conducted, and 38% of workers have been subject to an NCA at some point in their career. Over half of the 446 private sector employers responding to GAO’s survey reported that at least some of their workers had NCAs. While many employers report using NCAs to protect their business interests, including trade secrets and client lists, GAO found that the use of NCAs is not limited to executives, but rather extends to hourly and low-wage workers who are unlikely to have access to the types of confidential information employers seek to protect.

GAO found that workers’ job mobility is reduced in states that are more likely to enforce NCAs, while state bans on NCAs for certain workers increased workers’ wages, on average. The studies reviewed by GAO also showed that enforcement of NCAs may restrain the creation of new businesses, especially in the tech and science industries, because of increased probability of litigation and greater costs of recruiting and hiring staff.

“The GAO’s report confirms what workers, advocates, and entrepreneurs have said for a long time: non-compete agreements depress wages and stave off competition. It’s a bad deal for low- and high-income workers, but it’s also a bad deal for our economy at a time when we should be encouraging more innovation, not less. This report makes clear that it’s time for Congress to pass legislation to protect workers and encourage more economic development,” said Murphy.

“This Government Accountability Office report confirms what we have long known: the vast majority of non-compete agreements restrict job mobility and stifle economic growth,” said Young. “Congress should pass our bipartisan Workforce Mobility Act to rein in the use of non-competes. The reforms in our bill will assist workers and entrepreneurs so they can freely apply their talents where their skills are in greatest demand, making our economy more dynamic.”

“This GAO report makes it crystal clear: non-compete agreements restrict job mobility and lower wages, keeping tens of millions of workers from changing jobs and creating new businesses,” said Warren. “The Biden administration has taken significant action to end this anticompetitive practice, and it needs to continue to stand up for workers and stand firm against corporate interests.”

“Non-compete agreements should protect a company’s trade secrets, not trap workers in jobs or suppress wages. This report once again confirms the detrimental effect that the spread of non-competes has on our workforce. Our economy must enable workers and entrepreneurs to apply their abilities where their skills are most valuable. My Freedom to Compete Act would prevent employers from using non-competes in employment contracts for certain entry-level, low-wage workers,” said Rubio.

“I’ve been sounding the alarm that non-compete agreements hurt workers’ wages, stifle innovation and economic growth, and only serve the selfish interests of big corporations,” Wyden said. “The new GAO report released today highlights the problems of non-compete agreements – particularly their impact on limiting workers’ fundamental freedom to change jobs. I’ll fight tooth and nail for fair labor laws that protect workers and promote the creation of new businesses in Oregon and nationwide.” 

“This report underscores how non-compete agreements suppress wages, particularly for low-income workers, and hinder our economic growth,” said Kaine. “We should pass our bipartisan bill to limit the use of non-compete agreements.”

In February 2023, Murphy, Young, and Kaine reintroduced the Workforce Mobility Act, bipartisan legislation to limit the use of non-compete agreements that negatively impact American workers. In January 2023, Murphy, Young, and Kaine applauded the Federal Trade Commission’s proposed rule banning employers from imposing non-compete agreements on their employees.

A one-pager on GAO’s findings is available here. The full GAO report is available here.

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Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin

05.15.23

New proposal provides immediate assistance to border officials and authorities to help secure the border & efficiently process asylum seekers; also provides support to communities that receive asylum seekers

WASHINGTON – As Title 42 emergency health authorities expire, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Senator Gary Peters (D-MI), Chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (HSGAC), today introduced a legislative proposal to respond to the immediate needs on our southern border.  While not a substitute for comprehensive immigration reform or legislation to address the root causes of migration, the Senators’ proposal provides immediate assistance to border officials and authorities to help secure the border and efficiently process asylum seekers.  The bill also provides critical support to the communities across America that receive asylum seekers.

“Congress has failed to fix America’s broken immigration system, and today, our communities, businesses, and frontline law-enforcement officials are facing the consequences of congressional inaction,” Durbin said.  “I have long urged my Republican colleagues to come to the table and negotiate on a bipartisan basis to pass comprehensive immigration reform.  But American communities and federal officials need our assistance today, and this proposal will provide the resources needed to secure our border and meet the urgent needs of our communities.  I hope my colleagues—Democrats and Republicans—support this proposal and show the American people that we can move past the partisan bickering to support frontline officials and American communities.”

“Congress must act to provide frontline border security personnel with the resources they need to safely and effectively carry out their challenging mission,” said Peters.  “This bill will provide the resources and authorities needed to help secure the border, prevent illegal activities like drug trafficking, efficiently process asylum applications, and swiftly remove people whose applications are denied or are otherwise prohibited from remaining in the country.”

Along with Durbin and Peters, the legislation is cosponsored by Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Tom Carper (D-DE), Angus King (I-ME), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), and Jacky Rosen (D-NV).

“When it comes to border security, we don’t need more lip service and more empty words. We need a real plan and we need real resources and more personnel. This bill provides both,” said Brown. “This legislation delivers improved technology, more law enforcement, and additional screening personnel to ensure that we have an orderly and secure border.”

“Title 42 ending will have undeniable impacts, and it is vital that our local, state, and non-governmental organizations in New Mexico are fully equipped with the federal resources needed to ensure an orderly and humane process at the border,” said Heinrich.  “While this emergency funding will go a long way to support our frontline personnel and communities rallying together to help those fleeing violence and persecution, we know this is just a Band-Aid solution to our nation’s broken immigration system.  Until we have comprehensive immigration reform, every other solution we use will largely be short-term and piecemeal. There is more work to do, and I’m committed to doing it.”

“This legislation is crucial to help ensure that border communities and DHS are prepared to handle an influx of migrants at the border.  I continue to push in Congress for common-sense immigration reform that will invest in border security and honor our commitment to asylum seekers,” said Luján.  “Congress must work with the administration on border solutions, and I look forward to building support for this legislation alongside my colleagues.”

“The Trump administration’s harmful and disastrous policies for dealing with asylum seekers, which led us to the current situation at the border, are finally being put to an end,” said Padilla.  “It is past time to return to a humane and safe processing system for asylum seekers.  It is important that we provide our front-line officers and the NGOs and localities assisting CBP with orderly processing at our border the resources that they need.  Resources are also needed to bolster lawful pathways that will help modernize our immigration system and help decompress the numbers of asylum seekers arriving at our border.”

“A temporary, COVID-19 era solution to a decades-old problem won’t make our immigration system work better,” said Carper.  “I have been a longtime advocate for addressing the root causes of migration that force so many migrants to seek refuge at our southern border.  This bill is a step in the right direction to address the urgent needs at our border while also paving the way for lasting solutions that address the root causes and enhance our ports of entry with increased technology and border security.”

“The United States is nation of immigrants and also a nation of laws,” said King.  “The Border Management, Security, and Assistance Act will support border patrol personnel in their efforts to stop people and drugs from unlawful entry into our country.  As Congress works toward a comprehensive, responsible approach to manage the southern border, this bill strikes an appropriate balance.  It will ease the burden on border communities, provide legal pathways for additional work visas, and support the frontline men and women who are keeping our nation safe — ultimately, ensuring that the United States remains true to its values of security and opportunity.”

“Our legislation will provide Border Patrol and other frontline personnel the resources they need to bring order to our southern border while cracking down on human smuggling and trafficking,” said Cortez Masto.  “I will keep working to strengthen border security and ensure swift and humane asylum processing.”

The Border Management, Security, and Assistance Act of 2023 includes the following key elements:

• Strengthens Border Security: This legislation would provide funding for U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to increase capacity, personnel, and technology to strengthen security at the southern border.  It would provide new resources for innovative technology and smarter capabilities that improve situational awareness between ports of entry, and significant investments to increase staff and improve technologies at ports of entry, including tools to prevent drug trafficking and other criminal activity. It would create a Transportation Coordinator to facilitate coordination between the federal government, and state and local governments.

• Consequences for Unlawful Entry: This legislation would provide resources to deter unlawful migration by enforcing consequences for unauthorized border crossings.  The legislation would ensure efficient processing and swift removal of people whose applications are denied and are otherwise prohibited from remaining in the country, including by adding resources for immigration officers and judges to quickly screen and deny ineligible cases.  It would also enhance penalties for human smuggling, drug trafficking, and illegal surveillance of border security personnel, and add resources for U.S. attorneys for increased law enforcement activities related to southwest border enforcement.

• Enhances Lawful Processes: This proposal would build upon the initial success of the Biden Administration’s Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela Parole program, which reduced apprehensions of nationals from those four countries by 97 percent, by providing resources for infrastructure to process migrants and asylum seekers in Latin America, and streamlining connections to the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program for groups experiencing persecution in the region.  It would also increase resources for U.S. Citizenship Immigration Services (USCIS) to help the agency to ensure efficient processing of asylum claims and applications for employment authorization.  Finally, it would improve the employment authorization process for individuals who comply with legal requirements.

• Supports American Communities: This proposal would provide local communities and nongovernmental organizations that are receiving asylum seekers—both at the border and in the interior of the United States—with the resources that they need and ensure that federal agencies are coordinating with such communities and organizations.

• Supports Frontline Personnel: This bill would provide additional support to frontline officials through hiring additional CBP officers, processing coordinators, and contracting staff to enable law enforcement personnel to carry out critical law enforcement duties.  In recognition that our frontline personnel are critical to the nation’s security, the bill also provides critical funding to support employee retention, recruitment, and wellness efforts.  

Bill text is available here. 

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Source: United States Senator for Maine Angus King

WASHINGTON, D.C. –U.S. Senator Angus King has introduced legislation to secure America’s southern border from the unlawful entry of asylum seekers and illegal drugs. While not a substitute for comprehensive immigration reform, the Border Management, Security, and Assistance Act provides immediate assistance to border personnel with additional resources and technology. The bill also provides critical support to nongovernment organizations that receive asylum seekers and includes Senator King’s longstanding goal of streamlining the visa permit process for businesses looking to hire new employees with a 30-day authorization process.

“The United States is nation of immigrants and also a nation of laws,” said Senator King. “The Border Management, Security, and Assistance Act will support border patrol personnel in their efforts to stop people and drugs from unlawful entry into our country. As Congress works toward a comprehensive, responsible approach to manage the southern border, this bill strikes an appropriate balance. It will ease the burden on border communities, provide legal pathways for additional work visas, and support the frontline men and women who are keeping our nation safe — ultimately, ensuring that the United States remains true to its values of security and opportunity.”

The legislation is cosponsored by U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Gary Peters (D-MI), Tom Carper (D-DE), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), and Jacky Rosen (D-NV).

The Border Management, Security, and Assistance Act takes the following key steps:

• Strengthens Border Security: This legislation would provide funding for U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to increase capacity, personnel, and technology to strengthen security at the southern border.  It would provide new resources for innovative technology and smarter capabilities that improve situational awareness between ports of entry, and significant investments to increase staff and improve technologies at ports of entry, including tools to prevent drug trafficking and other criminal activity. It would create a Transportation Coordinator to facilitate coordination between the federal government, and state and local governments.

• Consequences for Unlawful Entry: This legislation would provide resources to deter unlawful migration by enforcing consequences for unauthorized border crossings.  The legislation would ensure efficient processing and swift removal of people whose applications are denied and are otherwise prohibited from remaining in the country, including by adding resources for immigration officers and judges to quickly screen and deny ineligible cases.  It would also enhance penalties for human smuggling, drug trafficking, and illegal surveillance of border security personnel, and add resources for U.S. attorneys for increased law enforcement activities related to southwest border enforcement.

• Enhances Lawful Processes: This proposal would build upon the initial success of the Biden Administration’s Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela Parole program, which reduced apprehensions of nationals from those four countries by 97 percent, by providing resources for infrastructure to process migrants and asylum seekers in Latin America, and streamlining connections to the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program for groups experiencing persecution in the region.  According to the legislation, someone who is processed by DHS, not detained, and not determined by DHS to have a frivolous asylum claim is able to receive work authorization within 30 days — lessening the burden on state and local governments by making asylum seekers self-sufficient. In addition, it will ease the burden on businesses looking for workers in Maine.

• Supports American Communities: This proposal would provide local communities and nongovernmental organizations that are receiving asylum seekers—both at the border and in the interior of the United States—with the resources that they need and ensure that federal agencies are coordinating with such communities and organizations.

• Supports Frontline Personnel: This bill would provide additional support to frontline officials through hiring additional CBP officers, processing coordinators, and contracting staff to enable law enforcement personnel to carry out critical law enforcement duties.  In recognition that our frontline personnel are critical to the nation’s security, the bill also provides critical funding to support employee retention, recruitment, and wellness efforts.  

Senator King has been a longtime advocate of reducing red tape for businesses looking to hire immigrants. He most recently co-sponsored the Asylum Seeker Work Authorization Act of 2023 to shorten the waiting period before asylum seekers are allowed to receive work authorizations. He also led the push for the Department of Homeland Security to increase H-2B visas for Fiscal Year 2023 to the maximum number—a visa category that many Maine hospitality businesses rely on during their busy seasons.

Bill text is available here. 

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