No veto threat on medical education bill

The Obama administration is not threatening to veto a Republican bill that would replace spending in the healthcare reform law to train medical residents with an annual appropriation.

The House is scheduled to take up the legislation Tuesday afternoon. The legislation, introduced by Rep. Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.), would rescind any unobligated funds appropriated by the law while authorizing $46 million a year over the next four years.

The bill is part of a broader Republican strategy to defund multiple provisions in the Democrats' healthcare law by either rescinding them altogether or giving the spending authority back to Congress.

The Statement of Administration Policy says the administration will "strongly oppose" such legislation, but it falls short of a veto threat.

"Rather than making refinements to improve the law, the bill simply proposes to convert the Affordable Care Act's appropriations for graduate medical education in qualified teaching health centers to an authorization of appropriations, and rescind unobligated balances," the statement says. "These funds promote training of medical residents in qualifying health centers, strengthening the health care workforce, and supporting an increased number of primary care medical and dental residents trained in community-based settings across the country."

The bill would cut direct spending by $220 billion over 10 years while increasing discretionary spending by $184 billion, assuming the money is appropriated, according to the Congressional Budget Office.