Press Releases

Washington, D.C. - 2/11/2025… Today, Reps. Mike Lawler (NY-17) and Yvette Clarke (NY-09) reintroduced the bipartisan Doctors in Our Borders Act, which will expand the Conrad 30 program, tackling physician shortages in medical facilities across the country. 

The Doctors in Our Borders Act allows states to issue 100 waivers, instead of the current 30, to foreign graduates of US medical schools on J-1 visas. This will allow these doctors to stay and practice in the US, instead of returning to their home country, provided that they work in designated underserved areas. 

“This is a commonsense solution to help address physician shortages impacting communities across New York and the entire country,” said Rep. Lawler (NY-17). “By allowing more doctors trained in the United States to stay and practice here, we can strengthen our healthcare system and ensure patients get the care they need and deserve. With a projected shortfall of over 120,000 doctors in the next decade, we can’t afford to wait.”

“This bipartisan bill will help keep top medical talent in the United States and improve access to quality care in underserved areas,” Rep. Lawler concluded.

“As medical facilities in New York and across the nation continue to face staffing shortages that are leading to real harm for patients, it’s become abundantly clear a legislative solution is necessary to meet their needs and keep Americans healthy and safe. That is why I’m proud to co-lead the bipartisan Doctors in Our Borders Act as a vital step in filling those gaps with US-educated doctors at the top of their fields. This initiative will ensure deserving, talented immigrants are recognized for their contributions and potential – securing their future in our nation and ensuring our communities will always have access to the care they need. This bill will change lives, it will save lives, and I look forward to seeing it become law,” said Rep. Yvette D. Clarke (NY-09). 

“The State Conrad 30 J-1 visa waiver program has been a highly successful program for underserved communities to recruit both primary care and specialty physicians after they complete their medical residency training. Addressing workforce shortages and improving the health of people everywhere are key AAMC priorities, and the Doctors in our Borders Act would help address the physician workforce shortage and increase access to care by expanding the Conrad 30 J-1 visa waiver program. We applaud Reps. Lawler (R-NY), Clarke (D-NY), Baird (R-IN), Moylan (R-GU), Thanedar (D-MI), Salazar (R-FL), Ciscomani (R-AZ), Davis (D-NC), Moulton (D-MA), Riley (D-NY), and Hinson (R-IA) for their bipartisan legislation as it recognizes these physicians as a critical element of our nation’s health care infrastructure, and we support the expansion of Conrad 30 to help overcome hurdles that have stymied growth of the physician workforce. The AAMC commends their bipartisan efforts, and strongly supports this legislation,” said Danielle Turnipseed, JD, MHSA, MPP, Chief Public Policy Officer, AAMC.

“The U.S. is facing a concerning workforce shortage of up to 86,000 physicians by 2036. While medical schools are working to address this, we need additional solutions. The Doctors in Our Borders Act will expand the J-1 visa waiver program, which is an essential tool for developing and maintaining a physician workforce that is robust and competent to meet the healthcare needs of New Yorkers,” said Jonathan Teyan, President and CEO of the Associated Medical Schools of New York (AMSNY).

“Finding and retaining a skilled workforce is one of the biggest challenges Community Health Centers face. That’s why CHCANYS is so grateful to Representatives Mike Lawler and Yvette Clarke for reintroducing the Doctors in our Borders Act. Expanding this program supports CHCs by directly addressing the physician shortage and improving access to care in communities that need it most,” said Rose Duhan, CHCANYS President and CEO. 

“The Doctors in Our Borders Act is an important step to help address America's growing physician workforce shortage crisis. Enhancing and streamlining the J-1 visa program will provide immediate relief to our healthcare facilities," said Healthcare Association of New York State President Bea Grause, RN, JD. "This bipartisan legislation, championed by Reps. Lawler and Clarke, demonstrates the kind of practical, forward-thinking leadership we need to strengthen our medical workforce. We thank them for their commitment to ensuring all New Yorkers have access to quality healthcare services."

“GNYHA has long supported Conrad 30 as a tool to ease the pathway for doctors from other countries who seek to practice medicine in the US. Unfortunately, demand for this program is greater than the available slots, thus limiting access to medical services in underserved areas in many states. GNYHA is proud to support Rep. Lawler and Rep. Clarke’s Doctors in Our Borders Act of 2025, which expands the Conrad 30 waiver program to allow more doctors from other countries to remain in the US to practice medicine. By increasing each state’s available slots, this bill will help tackle the physician shortage and ensure that more medically underserved communities have access to high-quality health care. GNYHA thanks Rep. Lawler and Rep. Clarke for their commitment to expanding the physician workforce and addressing the critical health needs of the nation,” said Greater New York Hospital Association President Kenneth E. Raske.

“On behalf of hospitals and health systems in the Hudson Valley and on Long Island, I thank you for the reintroduction of the Doctors in Our Borders Act. The Association of American Medical Colleges projects a shortage of 86,000 physicians over the next decade. While it will take a multifaceted approach to address this deficit for the long-term, hospitals need help today. In a nationwide shortage, the only most immediate solution for bolstering supply is to expand opportunities for qualified, foreign-born physicians to practice in the U.S. The Doctors in Our Borders Act meets this urgent need by taking advantage of an underutilized resource – those individuals who have completed their medical education here but would otherwise be required to return to their home countries,” said Wendy Darwell, President and CEO of Suburban Hospital Alliance of NYS, Nassau-Suffolk Hospital Council, a and Northern Metropolitan Hospital Association.

“This bill would address the severe physician shortage happening in areas across the country, ensuring patient access to U.S.-trained physicians immediately following their residency, and allowing many more physicians the opportunity to apply to the Conrad 30 waiver program available in all 50 states,” said College of American Pathologists President Donald S. Karcher, MD, FCAP.

“Protecting patients’ access to 24/7 care requires maintaining a robust health care workforce to meet patients’ needs. FAH is grateful for Congressman Mike Lawler’s leadership in ensuring American-trained physicians can continue serving patients in rural and underserved communities, strengthening access to hospital care,” said FAH Executive Vice President of Public Affairs, Charlene MacDonald.

“Montefiore is unwavering in its commitment to delivering exceptional, world-class care to all New Yorkers, and we need the support of a skilled and robust health care workforce to remain steadfast in this goal. As the nation faces ongoing healthcare workforce shortages, we look forward to working with Representatives Lawler and Clarke on this bipartisan legislation that would equip providers with the tools needed to ensure all Americans have access to high-quality care,” said Mark Geller, President and CEO Montefiore Nyack Hospital, A Member of the Montefiore Health System. 

“As a healthcare network dedicated to providing top-tier primary and advanced care across our nine hospitals, including our academic medical center and regional children's hospital, all of us at WMCHealth recognize the critical importance of addressing physician shortages, particularly when it comes to providing accessible, high-quality healthcare in underserved areas,” said Michael D. Israel, President and CEO, Westchester Medical Center Health Network (WMCHealth). “This legislation will enhance our efforts to train and retain the finest physicians in the world, ensuring that all communities have access to the high-quality healthcare they deserve. We join our colleagues in healthcare in their support of this Act and commend Representatives Lawler and Clarke for their leadership on this vital issue."

“The Doctors in Our Borders Act is a vital step toward ensuring all patients have access to high-quality medical care by allowing states to retain skilled physicians eager to assist underserved populations,” said Derek Anderson, SVP, President of Northwell Northern Westchester Hospital. "Northwell Health and Northern Westchester Hospital fully support this bipartisan effort to address physician shortages and meet the growing health care needs of our community.”

“Mount Sinai Health System prides itself in the delivery of patient care.  Several of our hospitals are situated in recognized healthcare shortage areas and medically underserved areas and through programs like the Conrad 30 program, we are able to ensure that the most vulnerable populations have access to clinical care,” said Mount Sinai Health System. 

“Representative Lawler’s bill is a strong investment for New York State and communities across the country to expand the J-1 Visa program and offer needed opportunities for highly trained physicians to work in underserved communities. The expansion will be a direct investment and help to ensure patients can get quality care from dedicated physicians. Sun River Health is proud to support this legislation which will help us hire more doctors to care for our communities, and we thank Rep. Lawler for championing it,” said Anne Kauffman Nolon, MPH, CEO, Sun River Health.

“Access to more J-1 visa waivers would help our health system to recruit the top-notch international doctors we need to care for our communities, particularly those served by our rural affiliate hospitals,” said David Linehan, MD, CEO of the University of Rochester Medical Center and Dean of the School of Medicine and Dentistry. “We applaud Rep. Lawler and Rep. Clarke for introducing the Doctors in Our Borders Act and look forward to working together to strengthen the healthcare workforce across New York.”

“The Doctors in our Borders Act will ensure that an increased number of US-trained physicians from other countries can continue to serve the American patient population. The Act is one important step towards alleviating the physician workforce shortage currently facing our nation by filling patient care gaps in vulnerable and medically underserved communities,” said Alan Kadish, M.D., President, Touro University, President, New York Medical College.

“The United States is facing a worrying physician shortage that is expected to only get worse in the coming years, and the Doctors in Our Borders Act presents a wonderful opportunity for lawmakers to begin to address our broken system and put patients first. It is a disservice to Americans to waste the talents of qualified international doctors during a time when we do not have nearly enough providers to care for our patients. This legislation would allow the United States to recruit more high-quality foreign physicians into parts of the country that need care the most. For over 30 years, the Conrad 30 program has proved to be a successful and essential part of America's healthcare system. It is time that we expand this program to unlock the full potential of our healthcare system for the benefit of our patients,” said Miranda Melvin, Americans for Prosperity Federal Strategies Director.

“For over 30 years, the Conrad 30 program continues to change the lives of millions of Americans in rural and underserved communities. Our country is facing a large shortage of trained medical professionals, and this bill allows more highly deserving immigrants that are looking to contribute to our exceptional country to do so. Now more than ever it’s imperative that we find dynamic healthcare and immigration solutions that help us meet gaps and address needs. The LIBRE Initiative stands in strong support of efforts to expand this tried and tested program,” said Helder Toste, Government Affairs Liaison, The LIBRE Initiative.

“International graduates of U.S. medical schools should not be forced to leave the country, taking their education, skills, and potential with them—especially when we face a severe shortage of healthcare workers,” said FWD.us President, Todd Schulte. “The Doctors in Our Borders Act would help stop this harmful brain drain by allowing these highly trained professionals to stay and serve American communities in need. Keeping more doctors in the U.S. strengthens our healthcare system, expands access to care in rural and urban areas, and ensures patients can access qualified medical professionals ready and eager to care for them.”

“We appreciate the leadership of Congressman Lawler and Congresswoman Clarke for introducing this bill to expand the highly successful, state-led Conrad 30 program,” said Kristie De Peña, Director of Immigration Policy at the Niskanen Center. “The Doctors Within our Borders Act better leverages our pool of U.S.-trained foreign physicians to provide more health care options for Americans most in need in rural and underserved areas across the country.”

“Weill Cornell Medicine applauds the bipartisan work of New York Representatives Mike Lawler and Yvette Clarke to reintroduce the Doctors in our Borders Act. This piece of legislation is important to the health of our state and our nation as it would expand the number of eligible physician spots in the Conrad 30 program to 100 in each state,” said Robert. A Harrington, the Stephen and Suzanne Weiss Dean of Weill Cornell Medicine and Provost for Medical Affairs at Cornell University. "This expansion is critical to address the concerning physician shortage facing our country and ensure that patients from all communities, both rural and urban, have access to world-class doctors such as those that we are training at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York City. Your zip code should not tell us more about your health outcomes than your genetic code; this bill can bridge the gaps in health access between New York neighborhoods.”

The list of organizations that endorse the Doctors in Our Borders Act includes: 

Association of American Medical Colleges, National Rural Health Association (NRHA), Associated Medical Schools of New York (AMSNY), Community Health Care Association of New York State (CHCANYS), Healthcare Association of New York State (HANYS), Greater New York Hospital Association (GNYHA), Suburban Hospital Alliance of New York State (SHA-NYS), College of American Pathologists (CAP), Federation of American Hospitals, Montefiore Health System, WMCHealth, Northwell Health, Mount Sinai Health System, NYU Langone Health, Montefiore Nyack Hospital, Northern Westchester Hospital, Blythedale Children’s Hospital, Sun River Health, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, University of Rochester Medical Center, New York Medical College/Touro University, Americans for Prosperity, LIBRE Initiative, FWD.us, and the Niskanen Center.

Additional cosponsors of the bill include Reps. Jim Baird (IN-04), James Moylan (GU-At Large), Shri Thanedar (MI-13), Maria Elvira Salazar (FL-27), Juan Ciscomani (AZ-06), Don Davis (NC-01), Seth Moulton (MA-06), Josh Riley (NY-19), and Ashley Hinson (IA-02).

Congressman Lawler is one of the most bipartisan members of Congress and represents New York's 17th Congressional District, which is just north of New York City and contains all or parts of Rockland, Putnam, Dutchess, and Westchester Counties.