Rob Andrews: “Thank you, Mr. Miller. I appreciate your help, I appreciate your yielding the time, and I thank Mr. Kildee, Chairman…”

“Thank you, Mr. Miller. I appreciate your help, I appreciate your yielding the time, and I thank Mr. Kildee, Chairman McKeon, Chairman Boehner before him, and I thank my friend from Louisiana for offering this amendment. This amendment recognizes that there is a public service value to the work of residents who go into a complex and long-term residency in the health care field. There is a recognition that these are individuals who are contributing to the public good in two very important ways: the first is the specialization with which they come out of school, which is incredibly important for the health of our population. The second is that in order to achieve those skills they are deferring their higher earning years for a very, very considerable period of time, in excess of 5 years. These are people with families and household obligations who are working very long hours, working at a very intense occupation and specialization, and giving up a significant amount of wealth and economic opportunity to do so. This is a public service, and it is important to recognize the public benefit that comes from this. So I think that Mr. Boustany's idea, in which I heartily join, of requiring more than 5 years in the residency program in medical specialties that have shortages recognizes the public service that these men and women are providing and falls into the other categories of occupations that are already recognized in the existing section 421 of the law.…”