Orrin Hatch: “I would like to briefly respond to my friend from New Jersey's comments about the Joint Committee on Taxation's analysis…”

“I would like to briefly respond to my friend from New Jersey's comments about the Joint Committee on Taxation's analysis of his amendment. The Joint Committee on Taxation corresponded with Senator McConnnell's office on Senator Menendez's amendment. I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record relevant portions of that e-mail discussion. There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in the Record, as follows: Correspondence to Staff of Senator McConnell From Tom Barthold, Chief of Staff, Joint Committee on Taxation, Dated April 5, 2011 You requested an estimate of the Menendez amendment (FRA11028). The Johanns amendment (which is essentially H.R. 4) increases maximum repayment caps for overpayment of health insurance exchange subsidies for taxpayers in certain income categories below 400 percent of the federal poverty level (``FPL''), and removes the caps for taxpayers above 400 percent FPL. We estimate that this portion of H.R. 4 raises $24.9 billion relative to present law. The Menendez amendment (FRA11028) would amend this amendment to require that the Secretary of Health and Human Services conduct a study to determine if the new repayment caps in H.R. 4 will (A) increase health insurance premiums within Exchanges for employees or owners of small business, or (B) result in an increase in the number of individuals who do not have health insurance, a disproportionate share of which are employees or owners of small businesses.…”