Contacting Senators and Congressmen

M

MDGUTS1307

Registered Users (C)
Dear All,

I would like to suggest we all (physicians) should be agressively contacting our congressmen and senators. They are likely to understand the direct benefit of easing the retrogression headaches for us (as it directly affects their contituents, veterans, etc). They are also more likely to listen to us. We may also be able to get some prominent members of our respective communities to pitch in ( mayors, city councilmen, directors of our hospitals, etc). The president of the university where is I work has a good rapport with the our senators and he is always willing to listen and help.

SO I WOULD LIKE US TO DISCUSS THE MAJOR ISSUES HERE AND COME UP WITH 3-4 MAJOR POINTS WE ALL CAN BRING UP WITH OUR SENATORS/CONGRESSMEN. IN THIS WAY WE ARE ALL SENDING THE RIGHT MESSAGE AND SPEAKING IN ONE VOICE

I think some of the points by Hadron are reasonable:

-Exempt Physicians from EB1/EB2/EB-3 qoutas
-Suggest spouses should not count against the quota

ANY SUGGESTIONS ARE WELCOME !

PLEASE PITCH IN .
 
I wonder what criteria the goverment uses to determine schedule A occupations. Why are physical therapists in there, but physicians are not ?

It will be a hard sell to exempt all physicians from the quotas.

What could go through is:

- getting physicians working in underserved areas (HPSA/MUA) exempted. By virtue of a practice location being designated as a 'healthcare personnel shortage area', the federal goverment (through HHS) has already determined that there are no similarly qualified citizens available to fill these positions. Also, in the case of a NIW the goverment has already determined that your work is in the national interest. This should trump any interest of the goverment to limit immigration in general (which was the original purpose of the quotas when they were introduced).

- getting physicians included into schedule A (and be able to take advantage of extra allocations for this group).
The only problem with schedule A is that there are already rings of 'coyotes' who have specialized on getting fake employment papers for physical therapists and other professionals included in this group. With the new pressure, there is an increased risk that the extra quotas for schedule A will be depleted by these fraudulent applications.
 
The first suggestion sounds the best

Hadron

We could pitch the your first suggestion. Exempt Physicians who are serving in MUA/HPSA.

We could start pitching this to senators who are actively involved in Health care: Medicare/Medicaid committes, Veterans affairs committees and senators whose states benefit most from J-1 physicians.

Any suggestions will be helpful.

MDGUTS
 
Rural healthcare coalition

A good starting point is probably the rural healthcare coalition. They were to what I know involved in the Conrad30 program extension. Everybody should check whether their congressman or senator is on the list and approach them from this angle.
(the list has two colums, but somehow got thrown together in cut and paste) . You can find it on this site:

http://walden.house.gov/issues/health/rhcc.html

Greg Walden of Oregon (R) and Earl Pomeroy (D) of North Dakota are the co-chairs of this group. Maybe if they hear about our issue from various sides, they pick it up as something interesting.


Rural Health Care Coalition
Membership as of June 2005


Republican Members (104) Democrat Members (74)
Greg Walden (OR), co-chair Earl Pomeroy (ND), co-chair
Robert Anderholdt (AL) Neil Abercrombie (HI)
Rodney Alexander (LA) Tom Allen (ME)
Richard Baker (LA) Brian Baird (WA)
J. Gresham Barrett (SC) Tammy Baldwin (WI)
Roscoe Bartlett (MD) Marion Berry (AR)
Joe Barton (TX) Sanford Bishop, Jr. (GA)
Charles Bass (NH) Dan Boren (OK)
Rob Bishop (UT) Leonard Boswell (IA)
Sherwood Boehlert (NY) Rick Boucher (VA)
Henry Bonilla (TX) Allen Boyd (FL)
John Boozman (AR) Dennis Cardoza (CA)
Jeb Bradley (NH) Ed Case (HI)
Kevin Brady (TX) Ben Chandler (KY)
Virginia Brown-Waite (FL) Donna Christian-Christensen (VI)
Dave Camp (MI) James Clyburn (SC)
Shelley Moore Capito (WV) Jim Cooper (TN)
Chris Chocola (IN) Jerry Costello (IL)
Tom Cole (OK) Robert "Bud" Cramer (AL)
Michael Conaway (TX) Arthur Davis (AL)
Barbara Cubin (WY) Danny Davis (IL)
Jo Ann Davis (VA) Lincoln Davis (TN)
Nathan Deal (GA) Peter DeFazio (OR)
John Doolittle (CA) William Delahunt (MA)
Thelma Drake (VA) Lloyd Doggett (TX)
Vernon Ehlers (MI) Chet Edwards (TX)
Jo Ann Emerson (MO) Bob Etheridge (NC)
Mark Foley (FL) Lane Evans (IL)
Jim Gibbons (NV) Eni Faleomavagea (Am. Samoa)
Wayne Gilchrest (MD) Bart Gordon (TN)
Paul Gillmor (OH) Alcee Hastings (FL)
Virgil Goode, Jr. (VA) Stephanie Herseth (SD)
Bob Goodlatte (VA) Maurice Hinchey (NY)
Al Green (TX) Ruben Hinojosa (TX)
Ralph Hall (TX) Darlene Hooley (OR)
Doc Hastings (WA) Shiela Jackson-Lee (TX)
Robin Hayes (NC) Paul Kanjorski (PA)
J.D. Hayworth (AZ) Marcy Kaptur (OH)
Joel Helfley (CO) Dale Kildee (MI)
Wally Herger (CA) Ron Kind (WI)
Pete Hoekstra (MI) Rick Larsen (WA)
John Hostettler (IN) John Lewis (GA)
Kenny Hulshof (MO) Jim Marshall (GA)
Ernest Istook (OK) Jim Matheson (UT)
William Jenkins (TN) Jim McDermott (WA)
Nany Johnson (CT) James McGovern (MA)
Timothy Johnson (IL) Mike McIntyre (NC)
Walter Jones (NC) Michael McNulty (NY)
Mark Kennedy (MN) Michael Michaud (ME)
Steve King (IA) Brad Miller (NC)
Jim Kolbe (AZ) Alan Mollohan (WV)
Ray LaHood (IL) John Murtha (PA)
Tom Latham (IA) James Oberstar (MN)
Jim Leach (IA) John Olver (MA)
Jerry Lewis (CA) Solomon Ortiz (TX)
Ron Lewis (KY) Collin Peterson (MN)
Frank Lucas (OK) Nick Rahall (WV)
Donald Manzullo (IL) Mike Ross (AR)
Jim McCrery (LA) Bernie Sanders (VT), Ind.
John McHugh (NY) Ike Skelton (MO)
Buck McKeon (CA) Louise Slaughter (NY)
Cathy McMorris (WA) Vic Snyder (AR)
Jeff Miller (FL) John Spratt (SC)
Jerry Moran (KS) Forrney Pete Stark (CA)
Marilyn Musgrave (CO) Ted Strickland (OH)
Randy Neugebauer (TX) Bart Stupak (MI)
Robert Ney (OH) John Tanner TN)
Charlie Norwood (GA) Gene Taylor (MS)
Devin Nunes (CA) Bernie Thompson (MS)
Jim Nussle (IA) Mike Thompson (CA)
Tom Osborne (NE) Ed Towns (NY)
Butch Otter (ID) Michael Turner (OH)
Michael Oxley (OH) Tom Udall (NM)
Ron Paul (TX) Peter Visclosky (ID)
John Peterson (PA)
Thomas Petri (WI)
Charles "Chip" Pickering (MS)
Adam Putnam (FL)
Dennis Rehberg (MT)
Rick Renzi (AZ)
Harold Rogers (KY)
Mike Rogers (MI)
Paul Ryan (WI)
Jim Ryun (KS)
Don Sherwood (PA)
John Shimkus (IL)
Bill Shuster (PA)
Mike Simpson (ID)
Lamar Smith (TX)
Cliff Stearns (FL)
John Sweeney (NY)
Charles Taylor (NC)
Lee Terry (NE)
Mac Thornberry (TX)
Todd Tiahrt (KS)
Fred Upton (MI)
Jim Walsh (NY)
Zach Wamp (TN)
Jerry Weller (IL)
Ed Whitfield (KY)
Roger Wicker (MS)
Heather Wilson (NM)
Joe Wilson (SC)
Don Young (AK)
 
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Thanks for the info

This sounds like a good idea.

I have worked or still work in the some of the areas covered some of the congressmen/women on the list. Heather Wilson is in my District and she can be very helpful. She helped a friend of mine with his J-1 waiver process !

I propose we send a nice letter to all of them emphasizing the retrogression issue and also highlighting the fact that we provide invaluable service to their constituents.
 
Veterans Affairs Committee

I also found the list of veteran's affairs committe. They also deal with VA Helath care issues. As a good of physicians do their waiver with the VA we should also get these folks aware of the retrogression issues.

Link : http://veterans.house.gov/about/index.html

List of Members:

Full Committee Member List

Steve Buyer, IN Chairman

Michael Bilirakis, FL Vice Chairman Lane Evans, IL, Ranking Member
Terry Everett, AL Bob Filner, CA
Cliff Stearns, FL Luis Gutierrez, IL
Dan Burton, IN Corrine Brown, FL
Jerry Moran, KS Vic Snyder, AR
Richard Baker, LA Michael Michaud, ME
Henry Brown, SC Stephanie Herseth, SD
Jeff Miller, FL T ed Strickland, OH
John Boozman, AR Darlene Hooley, OR
Jeb Bradley, NH Silvestre Reyes, TX
Ginny Brown-Waite, FL Shelley Berkley, NV
Michael R. Turner, OH Tom Udall, NM
 
Senate VA committee

Folks, I also found the members of the VA Senate Committe members:

Chairman : Sen Craig ( Idaho) : I will send him a letter. I served in the VA covering his district and also Patty Murray's district (WA) !

Others that may be helpful in this committee are:
Patty Murray (WA) : she is very strongly pro VA Medical Centers
Barak Obama (IL)
Ken Salazar (CO)


Other names on the list are at this link
http://veterans.senate.gov/index.cfm?FuseAction=About.CommitteeMembers

ALL THE VA DOCS WHO HAVE WORKED OR WORK IN THE VA PLEASE SEND A LETTER TO THESE FOLKS ASKING HELP WITH RETROGRESSION.
SPECIFICALLY WE SHOULD ASK FOR EXEMPTIONS FROM THE QUOTAS , AS WE ARE SERVING THE MEDICALLY NEEDY FOLKS.
 
contacting senators and congressmen ...

MDGUTS1307 said:
... we could pitch the your first suggestion. Exempt Physicians who are serving in MUA/HPSA.

We could start pitching this to senators who are actively involved in Health care: Medicare/Medicaid committes, Veterans affairs committees and senators whose states benefit most from J-1 physicians.

Any suggestions will be helpful.

MDGUTS
Click to expand...
will someone be able to draft a sample letter and post it here as a guide?
then we can modify it and send it.
.
 
Sample letter

There is a sample letter on this forum. Link is
http://boards.immigrationportal.com/showthread.php?t=192838

One may have to change it to highlight the medical profession. I would state cleary how physicians in the MUA/HPSA/ VA serve a needy population, how retrogression will the make the wait for GC for us very long ( 5 yrs + ? no of yrs to process GC), etc.

We should also suggest the solutions. The sample letter has some. We should add that physicians should be excluded from the caps/ quotas as we are getting approved under " National Interest".

Any suggestions to add to the letter are welcome.
 
AILA reports senate budget committee looking at EB visas

Here is the Link
http://www.immigration-law.com/

# AILA has reported that the Senate Judiciary Committe is markedup a
very important legislative bill on October 20, 2005, coming Thursday,
to discuss the Budget Reconciliation and Immigration proposal that can
give some relief to the current H-1B blackout and EB immigrant visa
number retrogression. According to the AILA, the proposal includes the
following:
>
> * Recapture of 300,000 unused H-1B numbers
> * Recpature of 90,000 unused EB immigrant visa numbers
> * Exempting spouses and minor children of EB principal aliens
from the annual EB quota limit
> * Permit filing of I-485 even during the visa number retrogression.
>
> # AILA states that it is vitally important that the people in
business community and scientific and research organizations reach out
tothe following members of the Senate Judiciary Committee as urgently
as possible.
>
> source - http://www.immigration-law.com/Canada.html
>
> Here are the phone numbers - PLEASE CALL TOMORROW. There is no time
to loose.
>
> Edward Kennedy (202) 224-4543
> Jon Kyl (202) 224-4521
> John Cornyn (202) 224-2934
> Arlen Specter (202) 224-4254
> Orrin Hatch (202) 224-5251
> Patrick Leahy (202) 224-4242
> Chuck Grassley (202) 224-3744
> Joseph Biden (202) 224-5042
> Mike DeWine (202) 224-2315
> Herb Kohl (202) 224-5653
> Jeff Sessions (202) 224-4124
> Dianne Feinstein (202) 224-3841
> Lindsey Graham (202) 224-5972
> Russell Feingold (202) 224-5323
> Charles Schumer (202) 224-6542
> Richard Durbin (202) 224-2152
> Tom Coburn (202) 224-5754
> Sam Brownback (202) 224-6521

FOLKS PLEASE SEND EMAILS, CALL, FAX, ETC TO THESE SENATORS AND STRESS THE EB RETROGRESSION ISSUES !!!
 
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