Krishnamoorthi introduces bill addressing healthcare workforce gap 

Indian American Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) has introduced the bicameral Welcome Back to the Health Care Workforce Act, legislation that will address the dramatic shortages plaguing the US healthcare sector.

Of the two million college-educated immigrants currently living in the US, including a large percentage from India, roughly 14% hold health-related degrees, he noted in a press release. These talented individuals are not working in the field, contributing to the nation’s significant shortage of qualified health professionals and workers, as highlighted by the Migration Policy Institute.

READ: Lawmakers, led by Krishnamoorthi and Bucshon, urge administration to provide relief to high-skilled visa holders (July 30, 2023)

This underutilization of internationally educated professionals, unable to overcome barriers to fully integrate into the health care workforce in America, is contributing to fewer health care professionals while adding greater strain to our health care system, the release stated. In addition, this gap is responsible for an estimated $10 billion in unpaid federal, state, and local taxes annually.

“Every day, I hear from my constituents about the difficulties of accessing care due to the ongoing healthcare workforce shortage our country faces,” Krishnamoorthi said.

“I’m proud to introduce the Welcome Back to the Health Care Workforce Act to ensure our health care sector is fully staffed through supporting community partnerships, streamlining licensing and credentialing for qualified health care workers trained overseas, and expanding opportunities to address classroom and clinical instructor shortages.”

The companion bill in the Senate was introduced by Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA).

“I recently met with students who shared with me their frustrations of immigrating to the United States, having a degree and significant experience, and not being able to find a job in their field that’s commensurate with their skills,” Kaine said.

READ: Raja Krishnamoorthi pushes for immigration reform to keep America ahead (April 25, 2022)

“At a time when I’m hearing from hospitals and other health care employers about how difficult it is to find workers, we should be making it easier for these individuals to enter the health care workforce.”

Meanwhile, the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability Wednesday unanimously passed Krishnamoorthi and Congresswoman Nancy Mace’s (R-SC) Allowing Contractors to Choose Employees for Select Skills (ACCESS) Act.

This bipartisan legislation would eliminate arbitrary education and experience requirements that exclude skilled workers from participating in government contracts, opening the door to more diverse and qualified candidates to apply for government positions.

“Degree-based discrimination deprives qualified Americans of opportunities to compete for jobs,” Krishnamoorthi said. “The federal government should be seeking the best and brightest to serve our country, and the ‘paper ceiling’ of arbitrary degree requirements is holding our nation and our workforce behind. Job candidates should always be evaluated based on their meaningful qualifications.”

Krishnamoorthi has long been a supporter of ensuring the best-qualified candidates are given equal opportunities throughout the hiring process regardless of educational background, according to a press release from his office.

READ: Pramila Jayapal introduces bill to extend healthcare to immigrants (May 12, 2021)

Last year, he introduced the bipartisan Opportunity to Compete Act to promote skills-based hiring and end discrimination against candidates without a four-year college degree.

The Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act, introduced by Krishnamoorthi and passed and signed into law in 2018, prioritized skills-based and non-four-year college educational career paths and represented the largest investment in Career and Technical Education (CTE) in decades.