On the recordSeptember 28, 2013
The job killer that we are threatening tonight has nothing to do with the medical device tax. It has to do with our giving up our responsibilities. The idea that we would threaten the full faith and credit of the United States is the issue that's in front of us. We negotiated that medical device tax. It was originally proposed at 5 percent, and we cut it to 2.3 percent, in addition to which, based upon an industry request, we extended it to foreign competition. Now, an issue that has been conveniently left out of this discussion is: Who is the biggest purchaser of medical devices? Medicare. By expanding the Affordable Care Act, we are going to have more customers who are going to purchase more medical devices. That's the reality actuarially of what we are discussing tonight. This notion that you can separate the revenue portion from the overall legislation is ill-considered, and everybody knows it. This was negotiated in the full light of day--thoroughly discussed. Return to the argument I made a moment ago. If you're interested in not killing jobs, stop this ruse that you're playing on the American people tonight and with the full faith and credit of the United States--with the debt obligations that we have.
