USDA Reorganization: AmericanHort Urges Continuity in Critical Services
USDA Reorganization: AmericanHort Urges Continuity in Critical Services AmericanHort submitted comments to USDA on its proposed reorganization, supporting modernization efforts while emphasizing the need to protect programs vital to horticulture. We urged USDA to maintain plant health diagnostics at Building 580, sustain research at Beltsville and the U.S. National Arboretum, and preserve regional responsiveness and […]
AmericanHort Pushes Back on Rail Industry Consolidation
AmericanHort Pushes Back on Rail Industry Consolidation AmericanHort recently joined fellow members of the Rail Customer Coalition in signing a letter to the Surface Transportation Board expressing strong concerns about the proposed merger between Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern. The letter warns that further consolidation in the rail industry would reduce competition, raise costs, and […]
AmericanHort Supports DOL Rescission of 2024 H-2A Rule
AmericanHort Supports DOL Rescission of 2024 H-2A Rule AmericanHort submitted comments supporting the Department of Labor’s (DOL) proposal to rescind the 2024 H-2A Final Rule entitled “Improving Protections for Workers in Temporary Agricultural Employment in the United States,” which had imposed costly and legally questionable mandates on agricultural employers. The rule’s provisions on retaliation, progressive […]
AmericanHort Supports Legislation to Improve Rural Roads and Bridges
AmericanHort Supports Legislation to Improve Rural Roads and Bridges AmericanHort joined a broad coalition of agricultural organizations in supporting the Agricultural and Rural Road Improvement Program Act (H.R. 4585), which directs $1.5 billion over five years from existing highway formula funds to modernize rural roads and bridges. These “first and last mile” routes are critical […]
H-2B Coalition Seeks Cap Relief from Congress
H-2B Coalition Seeks Cap Relief from Congress AmericanHort and members of the H-2B Coalition wrote to House leadership requesting a provision in the FY 2026 Department of Homeland Security appropriations bill exempting Certified Seasonal Employers – those with a consistent five-year record of H-2B participation – from the H-2B visa cap. This bipartisan provision provides […]
AmericanHort Joins Industry Coalition Opposing Port Fee
AmericanHort Joins Industry Coalition Opposing Port Fee AmericanHort joined over 160 associations in calling on the U.S. Trade Representative to withdraw the proposed port fee on Chinese-built vessels, warning it would raise shipping costs, reduce service to smaller ports, and disrupt supply chains. While we support efforts to counter China’s maritime ambitions, we believe this […]
Ag Groups Encourage the Senate to Confirm Luke Lindberg to be USDA Trade Under Secretary
Ag Groups Encourage the Senate to Confirm Luke Lindberg to be USDA Trade Under secretary AmericanHort joined nearly 100 agricultural organizations in encouraging the U.S. Senate to promptly confirm Luke Lindberg as the next USDA Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs. Lindberg’s leadership and trade expertise are seen as critical to tackling the […]
AmericanHort Supports Effort to Expand Small Business Tax Deduction
AmericanHort Supports Effort to Expand Small Business Tax Deduction AmericanHort joined over 100 national trade associations in a letter to Senate Finance Committee Chairman Mike Crapo (R-ID), urging support for permanently extending and expanding the Section 199A tax deduction for pass-through businesses. The coalition called for increasing the deduction from 20% to 23% to maintain […]
AWC Seeks Meeting with White House on Labor, Enforcement Concern
AWC Seeks Meeting with White House on Labor, Enforcement Concern The Agriculture Workforce Coalition (AWC) has requested a joint meeting with the administration to discuss the urgent need for a stable, legal agricultural workforce amid ongoing immigration enforcement efforts. While supporting strong border security, the coalition warns that enforcement actions and visa scrutiny risk disrupting […]
AmericanHort Advocates for Action on Port Congestion
AmericanHort Advocates for Action on Port Congestion AmericanHort recently joined 220 trade associations in calling on the Trump Administration to take swift action to prevent supply chain disruptions linked to shifting tariff policies. In a letter to the Secretaries of Transportation and Commerce and the Chairman of the Federal Maritime Commission, the coalition raised concerns […]