Posted on 03/22/2013 11:58:17 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
As I mentioned yesterday, the medical device tax that went into effect last January is just one of the many insidious job-killing measures contained within ObamaCare, but it is an especially terrible one. The 2.3 percent excise tax is meant to raise a handsome $30 billion to pay for ObamaCare over the next decade, except that, added bonus: It’s going to stifle innovation and competition in an industry that provides all manner of life-saving medical devices, from MRIs to pacemakers to blood tubes.
And this hasn’t just been a Republican refrain, by the way. Thursday night, the Senate voted overwhelmingly to repeal the medical device tax, with more than 30 Democrats joining in:
The vote was largely symbolic, but the 79-20 tally signals strong opposition to the 2.3% tax on device sales that went into effect Jan. 1. Even though the levy is meant to help foot the bill for the signature legislative achievement of President Barack Obama‘s first term, 33 Democrats as well as independent Sen. Angus King of Maine joined Republican senators in voting to repeal the tax.
The vote came as an amendment to the Senate Democrats’ fiscal year 2014 budget, a partisan tax-and-spending blueprint that stands no chance of passing the GOP-controlled House. Still, the solid bipartisan support shows growing momentum for repealing the tax, which lawmakers have argued hurts U.S. competitiveness and costs highly paid jobs.
Sen. Orrin Hatch (R., Utah) introduced the measure earlier Thursday with the support of nine Democrats, including Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island.
I do wonder that some of these Democrats couldn’t summon these same scruples with the health care overhaul when they were falling over themselves to pass the dang thing in 2010, though. Such a shame.
The vote may have been a symbolic one, but nevertheless, this has got to be kind of uncomfortable for the White House: Congress finally managed to find some bipartisan agreement on something, and it’s over just how stupid of a funding-mechanism idea this medical device tax was to begin with.
Should have never been in there in the first place. Maybe folks will catch on. Obamacare is nothing more than the creation of a new kitty to steal from.
They had to pass the bill to see what was in it.
In a normal world, this would make voters question the sanity of their representatives. We’re no longer in a normal world.
Stupid Party strikes again. Already agreeing to modify obamacare. Kenyancare is a package deal. Let them eat cake and deal with it.
The only reason any rats voted against it is because the big medical outfits are in democrat states.
You Democrats voted for Obamacare - now live with the consequences.
I'm sure the fact that so many medical device manufacturers are located in that area of the country is strictly a coincidence.
20,000 regulations written since the bill became law.
It’s “evolving”
Republicans, if they gave a damn, would have voted “present”.
This is just more proof that the GOP will not fight for full repeal. They are happy to take the K Street cash for votes like this.
They really need to stop lying to us about how hard they are fighting for a repeal.
BS... they’re covering their asses for next year. They’re down with Obamacare 100% and aren’t fooling anyone.
Gosh, did they vote for the bill in the first place? Hypocrites.
The number of Dems who voted for it means nothing.
Attach the same amendment to the House budget, and every one of them will vote against it.
Yep! The Repubs, at least, should have loaded the repeal with all kinds of repeals and changes within Obamacare with the intent of making the implementation of Obamacare much more difficult for the Fed-gov. Then compromise on a few and "relent" to pass the repeal.
“. . . with the support of nine Democrats, including Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island.”
Fake Injun...she hatem little guy
Hmm, so the Democrats cave to the rich medical industry lobbyists over a 2.3 percent tax? What do the Senate Democrats have against the fat cats in the medical device industry paying their fair share? *roll eyes* In all seriousness, people really need to start using the liberal language against them. The Dems own this mess, they need to pay.
The number of Dems who voted for it means nothing.
Attach the same amendment to the House budget, and every one of them will vote against it.
Disagree. Those Dems would take the lobbyist cash and remove a tax that hits businesses in their districts hard.
So here we have the GOP voting to fund obamacare. Then a couple days later voting not to pay for it. Unbelievable.
Stuff like this makes me thing the biggest problem in DC isn’t the kenyan in the White House. He will be gone in 4 years. However, the feckless poseurs in the beltway GOP will still be there. Huffing and puffing about a full repeal. All the while pocketing K Street payola.
Why aren’t Republicans yelling from the rooftops, “We have to pass the bill to know what’s in it.” Those are damning words and should be repeated every time Obamacare is mentioned.
I have to believe that they just don’t want to win.
Exactly. The Dems bought obamacare. Time to 1) mock them for their stupidity and 2) insist they pay for it.
Too many death threats for them to just shrug it off. They do not do things like this out of the goodness of their hearts.
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