Introductions of the Grant Residency for Additional Doctors Act of 2021

Floor Speech

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Ms. MENG. Madam Speaker, I rise today to announce the introduction of the Grant Residency for Additional Doctors, or GRAD, Act of 2021 which would address the lengthy processing delays for J-1 visas, which is the temporary nonimmigrant visa that international medical students and physicians use to work in U.S. based residency programs.

The United States is anticipated to face a shortage of physicians that ranges from between 54,100 and 139,000 in the next 12 years. The COVID-19 pandemic is expected to magnify these shortages as primary care physicians and specialists experience burnout related to the pandemic. Foreign medical students frequently fill critical positions in hospitals that service underserved and rural communities.

Madam Speaker, my GRAD Act of 2021 would direct the Department of State to establish a position from March through June, the busiest months for school applications, whose sole purpose is to address J-1 visa applications with the intention of receiving graduate medical education or training.

Madam Speaker, the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted how crucial it is that our medical infrastructure has the personnel necessary to handle a public health crisis. Our healthcare system cannot operate if it is facing a physician shortage.

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