LEGISLATOR PROFILE Making Sure Government Works For the People Q&A with Congressional Champion Jimmy Panetta
By Chardae Heim J immy Panetta, who proudly serves California’s 20th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives, has continually demonstrated a steadfast commitment to ensuring the sustainability and success of the nation’s food supply. Since being sworn into office in 2017, Rep. Panetta has fought for everything from immigration reform and accessible healthcare to the protection of the agriculture industry and its farmers and farmworkers. Most recently, he has served as a true congressional champion for Western Growers members impacted by coronavirus. When COVID-19 hit in the United States and the foodservice sector virtually collapsed, many fresh produce farmers were forced to abandon their fields to cut their losses. This cost farming operations millions of dollars, adding to the existing sting of the State Department’s decision to suspend routine nonimmigrant visa processing in Mexico. Panetta led the charge in urging for the immediate amendment of the suspension on visa processing for H-2A workers; advocating for a recovery and relief plan for the produce industry; and ensuring adequate financial support for producers who face considerable hardship due to the outbreak. Western Growers had the opportunity to speak with Rep. Panetta about his efforts in Congress and his thoughts about the future of agriculture.
Why was it important to you to advocate for providing vital financial assistance to producers of agricultural commodities who have suffered losses due to COVID-19? We need to make sure that the people who provide the food on our tables are protected, which includes our producers, our farmers, and our farmworkers. To harvest our specialty crops, it takes human beings and unfortunately, the administration basically blocked all the processing of the H-2As in Mexico. Based on the bipartisan letter that I spearheaded, the administration reversed its decision and allowed those H-2A visas to be processed. What this highlights is not just how valuable our farmworkers are,
but how vulnerable they are to COVID-19. That's why I led the bipartisan effort asking for PPE, asking for education, and asking for testing. I did the same thing when we had the fires and the smoke. On the Central Coast, our specialty crops are not used to getting subsidies like they do in other parts of this country. We’re not used to getting these handouts, but I can tell you, we want our fair share. Fortunately, with the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program, the CFAP, I believe we got that in the $19 billion that was allocated. What the USDA needs is obviously data to justify these types of payments and they needed more time. That’s why, once again, I led a letter to extend the deadline for acquiring CFAP applications because
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NOVEMBER | DECEMBER 2020
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