Amy Klobuchar: “I come to the floor today in the midst of this national crisis, this pandemic, to talk about one hero among, of course…”

“I come to the floor today in the midst of this national crisis, this pandemic, to talk about one hero among, of course, many. First, I thank my friend Senator Durbin for his tireless leadership on a very important topic--and that is the topic of immigration--and for his taking the lead in bringing us together today to recognize heroes in healthcare during this coronavirus pandemic. As many of you know, this pandemic is personal for me. My husband John was hospitalized with the coronavirus not too long ago, and although he is a great person and I am so proud of him for coming through it all and giving his plasma recently, he is actually not the hero I am referring to. I am talking about an immigrant doctor who is on the frontlines of the coronavirus pandemic in Rochester, MN. She has asked that her name not be used publicly because she is applying for a green card. She came to the United States from her home country for postgraduate medical training and completed not one but two fellowships in critical care and pulmonary diseases at the Mayo Clinic, which happens to be where my husband gave the plasma, which we hope will save other lives. Under normal circumstances, an immigrant doctor who completes his or her postgraduate training in the United States has to leave the country for at least 2 years when their residency is complete. Now, let's look at that again.…”