Letter
Dear Chairman Cassidy and Ranking Member Sanders:
On behalf of a broad group of agricultural stakeholders across the food and fiber supply chain, we write in strong support of the nomination of Keith E. Sonderling to serve as Secretary of the U.S. Department of Labor.
Collectively, our organizations represent the agricultural employers, producers, labor providers, and rural businesses that rely on a stable, legal, workable federal labor and immigration framework to keep American farms, ranches, growers, and related operations running.
Mr. Sonderling’s prior service as Acting and Deputy Administrator of the Department’s Wage and Hour Division gave him direct experience with H-2A enforcement, the Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act, and the compliance burdens agricultural employers face.
As Deputy Secretary and now Acting Secretary, Mr. Sonderling has prioritized regulatory relief for agricultural employers, including by helping reverse prior regulatory actions that threatened American agriculture. Most importantly, he ensured quick action by the Department to release the interim final rule, Adverse Effect Wage Rate Methodology for the Temporary Employment of H-2A Nonimmigrants in Non-Range Occupations in the United States, 90 Fed. Reg. 47,914 (Oct. 2, 2025), and has overseen a proposed joint employer rule to provide agricultural employers, labor contractors, and farm labor associations with a single, predictable nationwide standard.
Agriculture cannot function without a reliable, sufficiently staffed workforce, and the H-2A program remains the primary lawful channel for meeting that need. Agricultural stakeholders need a Secretary of Labor who understands the operational realities of farm labor and what policies can help ensure American agriculture will thrive into the future.
Mr. Sonderling’s record reflects that understanding and it is why we respectfully urge the Committee to favorably report Mr. Sonderling’s nomination and the full Senate to confirm him without delay.
Sincerely,
National Council of Agricultural Employers
Agriculture Retailers Association
American Farm Bureau Federation
American Mushroom Institute
American Soybean Association
AmericanHort
AWMA
Central Valley Ag Cooperative
Colorado Fruit & Vegetable Growers Association
Controlled Environment Agriculture Alliance
Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association
Florida Growers’ Association
Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association
Georgia Green Industry Association, Inc.
Grower-Shipper Association of Central California
International Fresh Produce Association
Michigan Agricultural Cooperative
Marketing Association
Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation
National Association of State Departments of Agriculture
National Cotton Council
National Cotton Ginners Association
National Council of Farmer Cooperatives
National Grain and Feed Association
National Milk Producers Federation
National Onion Association
National Pork Producers Council
National Potato Council
National Watermelon Association
New England Apple Council
New York State Horticultural Society
New York State Vegetable Growers Association
North American Blueberry Council
Northeast Dairy Producers Association
Northwest Horticultural Council
Snake River Farmers’ Association
Southeastern Cotton Ginners Association
Southeastern Cotton Ginners Association, Inc.
Specialty Crop Farm Labor Contractors
Texas Citrus Mutual
Texas Cotton Ginners’ Association
Texas International Produce Association
Texas Vegetable Association
U.S. Apple Association
US Custom Harvesters, Inc.
Virginia Agricultural Growers Association, Inc.
Washington State Tree Fruit Association
Western Growers
Worker and Farmer Labor Association
