Floor SpeechNeutral2026-08-06

Introductory Statement on S. 5304

EconomyForeign PolicyLaborCivil Rights

Context

On 2026-08-06, Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA) delivered a floor speech titled "Introductory Statement On S. 5304" in the Senate.

Full Text

Introductory Statement on S. 5304

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 129 (Thursday, August 6, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 129 (Thursday, August 6, 2026)] [Senate] [Pages S4519-S4520] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] By Mr. PADILLA (for himself, Mr. Sanders, Mr. Van Hollen, Mr. Blumenthal, Ms. Cortez Masto, Ms. Warren, Mr. Schiff, Mr. Markey, Mr. Booker, Mr. Wyden, Mr. Gallego, Ms. Alsobrooks, Ms. Rosen, and Mr. Lujan): [[Page S4520]] S. 5304. A bill to amend the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to provide increased labor law protections for agricultural workers, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. Mr. PADILLA. Mr. President, I rise to speak in support of the Fairness for Farm Workers Act, which I am reintroducing today. Farmworkers feed our Nation. This is especially true in California-- the agricultural heart of the Nation. California is the most successful State in agricultural production and has the largest population of farmworkers. In fact, nearly half of the country's vegetables and over three-quarters of the country's fruits and nuts are grown in California. Farmworkers put food on the tables of millions of Americans despite working through extreme weather conditions, injuries, disasters, pandemics, and more. Yet farmworkers have been unjustly excluded from labor laws. The time to address these inequities is now. While the 1938 Fair Labor Standards Act established Federal standards for minimum wage and overtime pay, the law excluded millions of domestic and agricultural workers--workers who were and remain overwhelmingly people of color. In 2016, California recognized the need to provide farmworkers overtime protection. The California overtime law, which ensures farmworkers will have an equal right to overtime pay, serves as the model for this Federal bill. Farmworkers in California and across the Nation deserve an end to discrimination in labor laws. We must undo the discriminatory exclusion of farmworkers by amending the Fair Labor Standards Act. That is why I am proud to introduce this bill, which would improve the lives of farmworkers and their families, create equity in our food system, and benefit farming communities as the increased wages are spent in local businesses. This bill will gradually implement overtime pay over the course of 4 years and bring greater equity to the American agricultural industry and greater prosperity to historically marginalized workers. I want to thank Congresswoman Grijalva for introducing this bill with me, and I hope our colleagues will join us to provide a measure of long-overdue fairness for our Nation's farmworkers. ______

Referenced legislation: S5304

View original source →

Introductory Statement on S. 5304 Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 129 (Thursday, August 6, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 129 (Thursday, August 6, 2026)] [Senate] [Pages S4519-S4520] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] By Mr. PADILLA (for himself, Mr. Sanders, Mr. Van Hollen, Mr. Blumenthal, Ms. Cortez Masto, Ms. Warren, Mr. Schiff, Mr. Markey, Mr. Booker, Mr. Wyden, Mr. Gallego, Ms. Alsobrooks, Ms. Rosen, and Mr. Lujan): [[Page S4520]] S. 5304. A bill to amend the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to provide increased labor law protections for agricultural workers, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. Mr. PADILLA. Mr. President, I rise to speak in support of the Fairness for Farm Workers Act, which I am reintroducing today. Farmworkers feed our Nation. This is especially true in California-- the agricultural heart of the Nation. California is the most successful State in agricultural production and has the largest population of farmworkers. In fact, nearly half of the country's vegetables and over three-quarters of the country's fruits and nuts are grown in California. Farmworkers put food on the tables of millions of Americans despite working through extreme weather conditions, injuries, disasters, pandemics, and more. Yet farmworkers have been unjustly excluded from labor laws. The time to address these inequities is now. While the 1938 Fair Labor Standards Act established Federal standards for minimum wage and overtime pay, the law excluded millions of domestic and agricultural workers--workers who were and remain overwhelmingly people of color. In 2016, California recognized the need to provide farmworkers overtime protection. The California overtime law, which ensures farmworkers will have an equal right to overtime pay, serves as the model for this Federal bill. Farmworkers in California and across the Nation deserve an end to discrimination in labor laws. We must undo the discriminatory exclusion of farmworkers by amending the Fair Labor Standards Act. That is why I am proud to introduce this bill, which would improve the lives of farmworkers and their families, create equity in our food system, and benefit farming communities as the increased wages are spent in local businesses. This bill will gradually implement overtime pay over the course of 4 years and bring greater equity to the American agricultural industry and greater prosperity to historically marginalized workers. I want to thank Congresswoman Grijalva for introducing this bill with me, and I hope our colleagues will join us to provide a measure of long-overdue fairness for our Nation's farmworkers. ______ Referenced legislation: S5304