Speaker. I rise today in strong support of H.R. 4997. the Physicians for Underserved Areas Act. This bill will permanently authorize the J1 visa waiver program. allowing foreign physicians certain visa waivers in exchange for their service in medically underserved areas within the United States including the territories. A recent study conducted by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) attributed the J1 visa waivers as a major means through which communities have successfully placed physicians in underserved areas. The J1 visa waiver program. since its inception in 1994. has brought physicians from areas around the world to the United States to improve access to primary medical care for individuals in underserved communities. Every 52. Pt. 17 December 6. 2006 year. nearly 1.000 requests for J1 visa waivers are submitted. which is a testament to this programs popularity and effectiveness among U.S. medical schools and medically underserved communities. As the representative from Guam. I know firsthand the challenges rural and medically underserved areas face. For instance. there is no oncologist on the island of Guam today. Cancer patients must travel to Hawaii to receive treatment. Because of the J1 visa waiver program. however. the Government of Guam was able to apply for J1 visa waivers for two physicians in 2005. The Physicians for Underserved Areas Act. by making this program permanent. will go far toward helping medically underserved areas like the one I represent. Healthcare is a national priority. and as legislators. we are tasked with doing all that we can at the federal level to ensure that adequate medical care is available to all and that medical professionals can be recruited to serve medically underserved communities.