WASHINGTON (DTN) -- The Labor Department on Thursday announced it would withdraw its controversial proposed rule dealing with children who work on farms and would not pursue its revision as long as President Barack Obama is in office.
The American Farm Bureau Federation called the withdrawal "a victory for farm families," adding that the Labor Department's reversal was "due to the thousands of farmers and ranchers who sent comments to the Labor Department opposing the rules and continued to voice their concerns with members of Congress. This announcement shows the strength of American agriculture and grassroots action."
Rep. Dennis Rehberg, R-Mont., Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., and Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., had all opposed the rule. Moran and Thune had introduced legislation to stop it moving forward.
"The Obama administration is firmly committed to promoting family farmers and respecting the rural way of life, especially the role that parents and other family members play in passing those traditions down through the generations," the Labor Department said in a statement. "The Obama administration is also deeply committed to listening and responding to what Americans across the country have to say about proposed rules and regulations. (TRANSLATION: I WANT TO BE RE-ELECTED, VOTE FOR ME )
"As a result, the Department of Labor is announcing today the withdrawal of the proposed rule dealing with children under the age of 16 who work in agricultural vocations.
"The decision to withdraw this rule -- including provisions to define the 'parental exemption' -- was made in response to thousands of comments expressing concerns about the effect of the proposed rules on small family-owned farms.
"To be clear, this regulation will not be pursued for the duration of the Obama administration. Instead, the departments of Labor and Agriculture will work with rural stakeholders -- such as the American Farm Bureau Federation, the National Farmers Union, the Future Farmers of America, and 4-H -- to develop an educational program to reduce accidents to young workers and promote safer agricultural working practices."
The Department of Labor (DOL) has apparently heard the voice of the American farmer (and the American people) and backed off its plan to restrict or severely limit family members under the age of 16 from working on family farms.
The original rule claimed to be “protecting” young people. However, it was so restricting that minors working on their family’s farms would not even be allowed to use a battery-powered screwdriver or a pressurized garden hose.
Many in the farming world were pleased with the promise that the push to ban younger family members from working on family farms would be taken off the table for the “duration of the Obama administration.
Senator John Thune of South Dakota, and a member of the Senate Agricultural Committee posted this statement on the news of the dropped restrictrictions:
“I am pleased to hear the Obama Administration is finally backing away from its absurd 85 page proposal to block youth from participating in family farm activities and ultimately undermine the very fabric of rural America, but I will continue working to ensure this overreaching proposal is completely and permanently put to rest,” said Thune. “The Obama DOL’s youth farm labor rule is a perfect example of what happens when government gets too big.”
Tester claimed credit for convincing Labor to drop the rule.
The original rule claimed to be “protecting” young people. However, it was so restricting that minors working on their family’s farms would not even be allowed to use a battery-powered screwdriver or a pressurized garden hose.
Many in the farming world were pleased with the promise that the push to ban younger family members from working on family farms would be taken off the table for the “duration of the Obama administration.
Senator John Thune of South Dakota, and a member of the Senate Agricultural Committee posted this statement on the news of the dropped restrictrictions:
“I am pleased to hear the Obama Administration is finally backing away from its absurd 85 page proposal to block youth from participating in family farm activities and ultimately undermine the very fabric of rural America, but I will continue working to ensure this overreaching proposal is completely and permanently put to rest,” said Thune. “The Obama DOL’s youth farm labor rule is a perfect example of what happens when government gets too big.”
Tester claimed credit for convincing Labor to drop the rule.
Tester noted that he grew up baling hay and "picking rocks" on his family's farm, and said that "while it's important to keep our young people safe, it's essential to expose them to valuable opportunities that develop a deep and long-lasting respect for work."
Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, said in a news release, "It's good the Labor Department rethought the ridiculous regulations it was going to stick on farmers and their families. It would have been devastating to farm families across the country. Much of rural America was built on families helping families, neighbors helping neighbors. To even propose such regulations defies common sense, and shows a real lack of understanding as to how the family farm works. I'm glad the Obama administration came to its senses."
Last week a coalition of advocates in favor of the rule including the American Federation of Teachers and the Association of Farmworker Opportunity Programs held a news conference in Washington to encourage the Labor Department to move forward with the rule. The advocates noted that youths have been injured running machinery and said that there should be rules about how long children can work in the hot sun and how high they can climb.
Labor Department Statement on the withdrawal: http://www.dol.gov/…
ARTICLE - PROGRESSIVE FARMER
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