Political Quotes

“I thank the gentleman for yielding. As ranking member of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health, I thank my colleague, Dr. Burgess, for his steadfast leadership on this issue. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to join 255 of my colleagues as a cosponsor of H.R. 2207, the Protect Medical Innovation Act. I rise today to remind my fellow Members that time is running out. We must repeal the medical device tax before it goes into effect on January 1, 2020. This bill has broad bipartisan support from Members in both Chambers who recognize the detrimental impact this tax has on constituents who rely on lifesaving medical devices or are employed by the industry. If Congress fails to act this year, the seemingly small 2.3 percent excise tax would have a significant impact on patients and the healthcare industry. The medical device industry employs 400,000 hardworking Americans, including 20,000 Hoosiers. When the medical device tax was in effect, nearly 20,000 industry jobs were lost nationwide. Eighty percent of these medical manufacturing companies are small businesses that need certainty. They need certainty in order to continue their research and investment in critical lifesaving medical innovations. This is a tax on innovation and competitiveness, a tax on patients, and a tax on working families. It is time to end this job-killing tax once and for all. I urge my fellow Members to vote ``no'' on the previous question so we can support H.R. 2207.”