John Rutherford: “Tonight I rise to speak of fairness, to speak of equity, to speak of parity for America's hardworking taxpayers. I want…”

“Tonight I rise to speak of fairness, to speak of equity, to speak of parity for America's hardworking taxpayers. I want to talk about bringing parity between Americans who get their insurance coverage through their employer and those who are forced to purchase theirs on the individual market. Currently, over 150 million Americans who have employer-sponsored health insurance enjoy a tax benefit to purchase that health insurance. However, Americans who purchase their insurance in the individual marketplace, like farmers, small-business owners, plumbers, and mechanics, do not have a similar kind of benefit. Mr. Speaker, simply put, this is just unfair. However, the American Health Care Plan helps fix this inequity by offering a portable tax credit to help these Americans purchase the health insurance they choose. These credits are also age-adjusted so older Americans who have higher healthcare costs will also see a larger credit to assist them in purchasing that insurance. Mr. Speaker, I can tell you, many individuals and families in Florida's Fourth Congressional District will benefit from this reform and for the first time will be on a more level playing field in purchasing their health insurance. We are fighting for basic fairness. No American, no small-business man or woman, no farmer, plumber, or mechanic should be disadvantaged because of where they work or where they are forced to purchase their insurance.”