From the Paul Mendelsohn, Vice President, Government Relations of NALP on H-2B and the 2018 Omnibus budget bill:

"All, I am sure you have heard that early this morning the Senate passed the 2018 Omnibus budget bill and the President is expected to quickly sign it. The good news is that thanks to the diligence and hard work of you and many others, the bill includes 2018 H-2B cap-relief. The bad news is that it is the exact same language that Congress included last year and that led to less than optimal results, to put it kindly.

We do have several advantages this time around. First, we have an unprecedented number of H-2B applications that have already been certified by DOL as meeting the need for H-2B assistance. Second, we have an extra month to work with this time around - last year's budget was signed into law on May 5. Third, we and our Congressional supporters now have last years' experience to guide our actions. Fourth, we have intel from a couple of Congressional offices that the Secretary of DHS recognizes the need for more H-2B workers and is open to an increase provided it is agreeable to the WH."

The ALCC will be participating in a H-2B Coalition follow-up meeting soon to help develop strategies and next steps as the result of this action. Thank you to all for reaching out to representatives in D.C. We had a fairly strong amount of engagement from our Colorado Senators and Representatives on this issue. Clearly, permanent cap that meets the demand of our H-2B needs is our goal. More to come.

Best Wishes,
John