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34 January/February 2017 Landscape and Irrigation www.landscapeirrigation.com STAYING CURRENT ILLUSTRATION ABOVE ©ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/SMARTBOY10 ■ BY PAUL MENDELSOHN With the 115th Congress convening, and a new administration in control, landscape professionals can expect policy activities on many issues of importance. Although it is early days, we have some insight into what we might expect from a public policy standpoint. In terms of the key federal issues that impact our industry, we will be tracking environmental regulation, immigration enforcement and work visa programs, health care and tax issues, which are all likely to be issues of focus. IMMIGRATION REFORM Perhaps more than any other issue, border security and immigration enforcement were the hallmark of President Trump's campaign platform. He spoke, and continues to speak, often about the need to protect American workers from the perceived unfair competition of immigrant labor and undocumented workers. He has nominated anti-immigration Senator Jeff Sessions (R-AL) for attorney general, and Sessions has indicated that addressing employer abuses in worker visa programs is a top priority once he is confirmed. But President Trump also uses H-2B workers in some of his resorts, and defended the use of the program during a Presidential debate. In addition, on many occasions, Secretary of Labor nominee Andrew Puzder has defended the need for American businesses to hire foreign workers to fill positions of need. NumbersUSA and other anti- immigrant work groups are openly criticizing Puzder, and lament that he is likely to increase the number of low skill labor guest worker visas. However, shortly after his nomination, Puzder further clouded the picture when he made the following statement, "It makes no economic sense to spend trillions on welfare and jobless benefits for out-of-work Americans while bringing in foreign workers to fill jobs in their place." During discussions around border security and immigration, NALP will continue to vigorously defend H-2B guest visas and the need for a legal seasonal worker program. We will aggressively work to educate members of Congress about how the program works, and address the many myths and misperceptions about the H-2B — in particular, false claims that American Public Policy and What to Expect from Congress and the New Administration workers are negatively impacted by seasonal guest labor. We will also work to promote legislation that addresses the 66,000 cap, makes the returning worker exemption permanent, and eliminates onerous program requirements. In addition, we will closely monitor issues related to enforcement, audits and the use of e-Verify (issues that are likely to see increased scrutiny and calls for wide-scale implementation). PESTICIDE REGULATION Recent pesticide regulatory actions coming out of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have tended to move away from the risk-benefit standard established in the Federal Insecticide Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) that governs pesticide registration and increasingly move toward a "precautionary principle" approach. However, it is highly likely that under President Trump the philosophical approach of the EPA on multiple issues, including pesticide regulation, will alter significantly. Although we are hopeful that a Trump EPA will regulate pesticides in a more predictable manner that recognizes product benefits, our challenge will be to ensure that EPA's Office of Pesticide Programs remains adequately funded. The program needs adequate funding in order to register new pesticides, new uses of existing pesticides, and new product formulations in a timely manner to ensure that they are available for our members and other pesticide users. Cutting EPA funding has been a target of many Republican Congressional leaders for a long time, and President Trump has been consistently vocal about his disdain for the EPA. NALP will work with multiple industry organizations to help educate the administration on the importance of continued funding for the Office of Pesticide Policy within the EPA. We anticipate a very active agenda in Congress, and we will continue to engage on behalf of the industry. Relentless advocacy has been, and will continue to be, a pillar of our association. NALP understands the importance of advocating on your behalf, and we work diligently to make sure that if an issue can impact your life or livelihood, your interests are covered. Paul Mendelsohn is vice president, government affairs at the National Association of Landscape Professionals. Although we are hopeful that a Trump EPA will regulate pesticides in a more predictable manner that recognizes product benefits, our challenge will be to ensure that EPA's Office of Pesticide Programs remains adequately funded.