The National Association of Landscape Professionals, the H-2B Coalition and more than 100 landscape professionals and colleagues from allied industries joined together on the Hill on April 26, at a crucial time in the battle for H-2B reform. John McMahon, the Executive Director of the Associated Landscape Contractors of Colorado, is pictured here with a group of landscape professionals as they headed out for meetings with their legislators.
More than 100 meetings were scheduled with legislators and their staffers from 19 states. This visit is timed to educate and help convince legislators to include a Returning Worker Exemption in the Budget before April 28, when they need to submit a new budget to avoid a government shut down.
The teams also talked to legislators about long term reform of the program and asked them to be co-sponsors on bills HR 2004 and S 792. You can help by sending emails and making calls to your legislators.
What Can You Do?
Senate Action
Use the NALP Member Advocacy Center to contact both of your Senators offices and ask him/her to sign on to Senator Flake’s (R-AZ) letter to leadership in support of the returning worker exemption being included in the appropriations measure for the remainder of fiscal year 2017. The letter will be sent mid-week so they must sign on either today or tomorrow.
House of Representatives Action
Contact your member of Congress through the NALP Member Advocacy Center and ask the member to please personally contact Speaker Ryan’s Office and other House leadership and ask for the inclusion of language to extend the H-2B Returning Worker Exemption in any appropriation measure to fund the balance of FY 2017.
It is important for legislators to hear personal stories from members like Brian Cuccaro, Owner of Newcastle Lawn and Landscape of Birdsboro, Pennsylvania.
We need you! Join us at Legislative Days on the Hill, July 16-18, 2017.
