Tlaib Introduces Bill to Expand Health Care Providers for Veterans

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, in honor of Veterans Day, Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib (MI-12) re-introduced the Expanding Health Care Providers for Veterans Act to make it easier for the VA and State Veterans Homes to hire immigrant employees on H1-B visas when they cannot find a suitable applicant in the United States. Specifically, the bill designates the Department of Veterans Affairs and State Veterans Homes as cap exempt institutions for the purposes of the H1-B visa program.

Across the country, veterans have been unable to get the life-saving care they need because of systematic health care worker staffing shortages, exacerbated by hiring difficulties imposed by the H1-B visa cap.

“Our veterans deserve high-quality health care. In our district, we know firsthand how critical access to health care is, especially mental health services for veterans who need it most,” said Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib. “We cannot just express our gratitude to our veterans for their service to our country, we must do more to ensure that every veteran has the resources they need to live healthy lives. I am proud to introduce this legislation to expand health care providers for veterans by welcoming health care professionals who are immigrants to care for them, and I will continue to ensure that our veterans are not forgotten when they return home.” 

This legislation is cosponsored by André Carson (IN-07), Yvette Clarke (NY-09), and Terri Sewell (AL-07).

This legislation is endorsed by Common Defense and The American Immigration Lawyers Association.

“The crisis in veterans’ care isn’t just about access; it’s about high turnover and low morale as dedicated providers burn out under mounting pressure. The Expanding Health Care Providers for Veterans Act is a pragmatic step to help VA fill critical vacancies and protect veterans’ access to timely, high-quality care. Common Defense thanks Congresswoman Tlaib for her leadership in strengthening the public VA system that veterans and their families depend on,” said John Kamin, Deputy Director for Government Relations at Common Defense.

“AILA welcomes Representative Rashida Tlaib’s introduction of the Expanding Health Care Providers for Veterans Act as a common-sense proposal to help address the health care needs of Veterans by exempting certain positions at the VA and State Veterans Homes from the H-1B visa cap. The limited number of H-1B visas available annually, and the extremely high demand for those visas, leaves VA and State Veterans Homes unable to fill critical positions. By proposing to exempt these workers from the H-1B cap, similar to how other employees of non-profit and government entities are treated, this bill would help ensure our Veterans’ healthcare needs are met,” said Sharvari Dalal-Dheini, Director of Government Relations at The American Immigration Lawyers Association.

The full text of the legislation can be found here.

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