Congress moves to slash wages for temporary farm workers
H.J.Res. 154 — Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Department of Labor relating to the Adverse Effect Wage Rate. · Filed by Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) · 19 cosponsors · Introduced Mar 26, 2026 · Referred to committee
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What it does
This resolution blocks a Department of Labor rule that changed how the government calculates the Adverse Effect Wage Rate (AEWR)—the minimum wage that employers must pay foreign H-2A temporary agricultural workers. The rule, issued in October 2025, altered the methodology for setting this wage floor in non-range occupations. By disapproving it, Congress voids the rule and restores the prior wage-calculation method, potentially lowering the wage floor for temporary farm workers.
Why we flagged it
The resolution's operative effect is to lower the wage floor for temporary agricultural workers by restoring a prior, less-generous AEWR methodology. This directly benefits agricultural employers by reducing their labor costs, while harming the earnings of temporary workers.
What the text implies
- Restoring the prior AEWR methodology may suppress wages not only for H-2A workers but also for domestic agricultural workers in the same occupations, as employers face reduced pressure to offer competitive wages.
- The resolution targets a rule issued by the Biden administration in October 2025; its passage would represent a reversal of executive labor-protection policy and signal congressional intent to limit DOL wage-setting authority.
The full analysis lists 3 implications of this text.
Who stands to gain
agricultural employers and farm operations; labor-intensive agricultural producers