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1100 Advocates to Kevin McCarthy: “We Harvest for 10 Hours a Day. Can You Take 10 Minutes to Schedule a Vote?”

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A day after immigration reform advocates with UFW camped out all night in front of GOP Whip Kevin McCarthy’s Bakersfield office, 1100 activists  gathered to march, protest, and deliver produce.  Their message: farm workers harvest for 10 hours a day.  Why hasn’t Rep. McCarthy, and the House GOP, taken even 10 minutes to pass immigration reform?

Led by UFW President, Arturo Rodriguez, farm workers and immigration reform advocates marched single file to McCarthy’s office in Bakersfield and lined roadways with signs specifying what each farm worker harvests. Once at McCarthy’s office, farm workers and advocates took turns knocking on the door, requesting a meeting with the congressman.   As it has for months now, the door remained locked.

Said Arturo Rodriguez about today’s event:

I’m always inspired by the strength and work ethic of these men and women who do the backbreaking labor required to harvest America’s produce, but today was truly remarkable.  As these aspiring Americans proved, the issue of immigration is simply not going away–no matter how many excuses McCarthy and his Party come up with.  Every day immigrants risk everything to do some of the most difficult jobs in the country.  McCarthy should—at the very least—do his job and schedule a vote on immigration reform that the majority of the country supports.

Said Francisco Torres, a farm worker and one of McCarthy’s constituents:

I want congressman Kevin McCarthy to give a vote on immigration reform. As an undocumented farm worker, you suffer horribly. You work 10 hours a day for little pay or worst you’re not paid for all the hours you’ve worked.  They threaten you with deportation and firing you because you’re undocumented. We work hard to feed the nation. McCarthy needs to help us and our nation by voting on immigration reform. Please stop making us live in the shadows. Give us a vote now.

You can watch video of today’s event HERE.

View photos from last night’s Camp McCarthy here.

And view photos and tweets from today’s march and produce delivery below: