Pete Sessions: “So to briefly summarize what the amendment does, it attempts to deal with this issue in a balanced but effective way. It…”

“So to briefly summarize what the amendment does, it attempts to deal with this issue in a balanced but effective way. It seeks to protect taxpayers' dollars from subsidizing foreign medical schools that are failing to show positive results, and we have a way to determine which ones are showing results. Currently, in order to qualify for student financial aid, we have a rule in effect. That rule is that the foreign medical school must show 60 percent of its graduates pass the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates' Examination. This is a test you have to take after you graduate to become licensed to practice medicine in the United States. So, currently, that rule is 60 percent. This amendment would raise the bar from 60 to 75 percent, to be implemented in 2 years' time. It would give them 2 years to prepare for this. I believe it is a reasonable change because approximately 90 percent of U.S. medical school graduates pass medical licensing examinations on their first attempt. That is a big difference. It is indisputable that the test failure rate is indicative of the quality of the instruction that one receives at a school.”