On the recordJuly 17, 2019
I thank Mr. Kelly for giving me time to speak in support of H.R. 748, the Middle Class Health Benefits Tax Repeal Act of 2019. This bill will provide much-needed relief from one of the most burdensome and blunt taxes in ObamaCare. By repealing this tax, we will save employers from paying a 40 percent tax on high-cost employer-sponsored health coverage. The bill will provide much-needed relief not only for employers but for employees, some of whom are low-income earners with high-cost health benefits who are forced to bear the repercussions of this tax. That said, I am disappointed that the majority chose not to repeal the medical device tax or the health insurance tax, both of which are harming hardworking Americans across the country. The medical device tax is a 2.3 percent excise tax on the value of medical devices sold domestically. Making lifesaving products more expensive is not good policy and should be included in this repeal bill. The health insurance tax, or HIT, is a more than $100 billion sales tax on private health insurance that affects every private plan in the country. At a time when we are all trying to lower the cost of healthcare, why are the Democrats in the majority preventing us from removing this unnecessary and burdensome tax?…
