Rick Lazio: “I just wanted to emphasize with a personal story, Mr. Speaker, the cruelty and the injustice of the current status of…”

“I just wanted to emphasize with a personal story, Mr. Speaker, the cruelty and the injustice of the current status of Syrian Jews and talk about a person who has the potential to make a great difference in our society. Joseph Durzieh. Joseph was a brilliant medical student at the University of Damascus, one of the handful of Jews allowed to pursue a higher education in Syria. And just for an aside, Mr. Speaker, I would note that it was not so long ago that Jews were not permitted to hold a government position or to work in a bank in Syria. There was that level of bias and discrimination. Joseph came to America in 1992 and immediately proceeded to pass his United States medical equivalency exams with flying colors. He completed his internship in New York and now is working in a State University of New York fellowship program in Brooklyn. Mr. Speaker, Dr. Durzieh is a well-respected physician. He is highly esteemed by his fellow doctors. He is highly valued by his employers. He is highly beloved by his patients. Yet because he has been unable to obtain a green card, he cannot obtain a license to practice medicine in America.”