Durbin, Duckworth, Klobuchar, Colleagues Urge Administration To Increase Number Of Doctors Available To Fight COVID-19 Pandemic

Apr 16, 2020 10:06 AM

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), along with Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Representatives Tom Cole (R-OK-04), Abby Finkenauer (D-IA-01), Brad Schneider (D-IL-10), and colleagues in both the House and Senate, wrote to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) urging the Trump Administration to waive restrictions that prevent doctors on certain employment-based visas from providing medical care at locations or in specialties other than those specifically approved for their immigration status. Without a waiver of these restrictions, doctors on H-1B and J-1 visas who provide care in crisis locations, even remotely, could be putting their immigration status in jeopardy.

“USCIS should immediately waive the requirements of the 2015 Simeio guidance for health care providers seeking changes in previously approved employment or new concurrent employment during the current public health emergency. Such a decision would give our nation’s health care providers the flexibility that is needed to mount an adequate response during this emergency. Doctors need to be able to act now to use their knowledge and training to save lives without fear of the loss of their immigration status,” the members wrote.

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Earlier this month, Durbin and Duckworth, along with colleagues in both the House and the Senate, wrote to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) urging the Administration to resume premium processing for physicians seeking employment-based visas.

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In addition to Durbin, Duckworth, and Klobuchar, the letter was signed by Senators Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Angus King (I-ME), Tom Carper (D-DE), Ed Markey (D-MA), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Chris Coons (D-DE), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Kamala Harris (D-CA), Tina Smith (D-MN), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), and Dianne Feinstein (D-CA).

In addition to Cole, Finkenauer, and Schneider, the letter was signed by Representatives Kendra Horn (D-OK-05), Bobby Rush (D-IL-01), Mike Gallagher (R-WI-08), Donna Shalala (D-FL-27), Eliot Engel (D-NY-16), Ron Kind (R-WI-03), John Katko (R-NY-24), Tony Cardenas (D-CA-29), Abigail Spanberger (D-VA-07), Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL-08), Xochitl Torres Small (D-NM-02), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE-AL), Terri Sewell (D-AL-07), Anthony Gonzalez (R-OH-16), Bill Foster (D-IL-11), Frank Lucas (R-OK-03), David Trone (D-MD-06), Cindy Axne (D-IA-03), Albio Sires (D-NJ-08), Darren Soto (D-FL-09), Ken Calvert (R-CA-42), Adam Kinzinger (R-IL-16), Joe Kennedy (D-MA-04), Danny Davis (D-IL-07), David Price (D-NC-04), and John Larson (D-CT-01).

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