Statement of Administration Policy: H.R. 3508 - Health Professions Education Amendments of 1991

(House)
(Waxman (D) CA and 8 others)

The Administration has no objection to House passage of H.R. 3508, but will seek amendments in the Senate to address the following concerns:

—   Health Education Assistance Loans (HEAL). The Administration recognizes that H.R. 3508 makes certain improvements in the default-plagued HEAL program. The Administration will work with the Senate to make further changes necessary to address the problem of high default rates in the HEAL program.

—   Health Professions Curriculum Assistance Grants. H.R. 3508 reauthorizes numerous health professions curriculum assistance grants not specifically targeted to the disadvantaged, such special-interest and profession-specific grants are not available to students in other fields. After two decades of heavy Federal support, the perceived shortage of health professionals has abated and these specialized grants are no longer necessary. Funding for human capital investment would be better made through broad-based programs that provide educational support for all students, such as the Pell Grant program.