Advocates urge veto threat against GOP healthcare defunding bill

The funding was set aside in Democrats’ healthcare reform law. The Congressional Budget Office estimates the bill would save about $100 million over 10 years because half the money is expected to be obligated by the time the defunding bill, if passed, would go into effect.

In a Statement of Administration Policy released Monday evening, the White House said the defunding bill could “make it harder to achieve better and more affordable health care.”

“These funds support the improvement and expansion of health centers in schools across the Nation to improve access to primary health care services for children,” the statement said. 

The administration went further in its opposition to bills coming up in the House Tuesday and Wednesday that would expand the federal ban on abortion funding and defund grants for states to create health insurance exchanges.

The administration’s veto threat on the exchange bill calls the grants “critical support to help States develop and begin operation of Exchanges.” The White House is also threatening to veto the abortion bill because it alleges the legislation “intrudes on women’s reproductive freedom and access to health care.”

All three bills are expected to easily clear the House, mostly along party lines, but falter in the Senate.

This post was updated at 2:45 p.m.