Farm workers picketing Cheney over White House blocking Senate vote on bipartisan AgJobs bill

    The July 14 Wall Street Journal and other news outlets have reported Republican leaders in the U.S. Senate are blocking the AgJobs bill in response to White House fears of an anti-immigrant backlash from its right wing base (“Immigration Measure Has Bipartisan Backing, But White House Seems Wary in Election Year,” by David Rogers).

    AgJobs would allow undocumented farm workers in this country now to earn the permanent legal right to stay here by continuing to work in agriculture. It has 63 Senate co-sponsors, including 26 Republicans. The measure is supported by more than 400 organizations, from the United Farm Workers, grower, business and labor to Latino, immigrant-rights and religious groups. County Supervisors throughout the state, including the board of supervisors for Kern and Fresno Counties, have passes resolutions in support of AgJOBS.

    In a speech delivered via satellite earlier this month to the League of United Latin American Citizens convention in San Antonio, President Bush declared that “America is a nation of open doors, and we want it to remain that way. Immigrants bring great strength,” the President added. “For this
administration, el sueno Americano es para todos (the American dream is for everyone) and we all deserve a chance at the American dream.”

    “The Bush administration needs to match its rhetoric favoring Latino immigrants with action on the popular bipartisan AgJobs bill,” says UFW President Arturo S. Rodriguez.

Who: Dozens of United Farm Workers members.

What: Protest during Vice President Dick Cheney’s visit to Bakersfield over the White House blocking a Senate vote on the AgJobs bill.

When: 12 noon, Tuesday, July 27, 2004.

Where: Kern County Fairgrounds at So. “P” Street in Bakersfield.

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