Colbert Stays in Character at Congressional Hearing on Farm Jobs

AGRICULTURE IMMIGRATION REFORM -- September 24, 2010 at 11:00 AM EDT

Colbert Stays in Character at Congressional Hearing on Farm Jobs

As far as House Judiciary subcommittee hearings on agricultural jobs go, this one had a bit more celebrity shine. Stephen Colbert, the comedian and satirist, knew that, and hoped his presence would vault the hearings up to "CSPAN 1" status. Here are his opening remarks, which differ from the testimony submitted in advance.

Included are his requests for research into vegetables that pick themselves and waist high earth to solve the problem of soil being so low which makes farm labor back-breaking work.

The reason for Colbert's appearance was because of a program launched by the United Farm Workers: Take Our Jobs, which invited legal citizens and residents to replace undocumented workers in the fields. Colbert had used his program in the past to highlight this initiative by performing field labor for a day.

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Even with this publicity, and after an appearance on Colbert Nation, United Farm Workers of America President Arturo S. Rodriguez said the website only received 8,600 inquiries and only seven people are actually working in the fields through the program.

Colbert's comments during the question and answer period are below:

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