NTU urges all Representatives to vote “YES” on H.R. 45, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) repeal bill, thereby rescinding nearly $1 trillion in tax hikes and $1.1 trillion in unaffordable spending. Last summer’s Supreme Court decision holding the “individual mandate” to be within Congress’s taxing powers makes it all the more vital that Congress takes action on this important issue.
A report released just this week by the House Energy and Commerce Committee confirmed what NTU and other PPACA critics have been stating all along: rather than lowering health care costs for families and businesses as the President promised, the legislation will cause health insurance premiums in the individual market to skyrocket by an average of 100 percent (and even up to 400 percent in some cases). This comes on top of a damning May 2nd study that revealed that after two years of expanded Medicaid in Oregon, there was no evidence that the program improved the physical health of enrollees. As Medicaid expansion was one of the cornerstones of the President’s health care plan, this news makes it all the more clear that PPACA is a terrible deal for taxpayers.
The threat of PPACA is already hurting businesses large and small as employers cut back employee hours or forgo expansion in order to avoid paying for expensive new plans, regulations, and penalties. Medical device manufacturers have already been forced to lay off thousands of workers or freeze salaries in response to the 2.3 percent medical device excise tax imposed on January 1. At a time when far too many Americans remain unemployed, it is imperative that Congress take action to prevent the full implementation of PPACA before the legislation can further damage our economy.
All roll call votes on H.R. 45 will be heavily weighted in our annual Rating of Congress and a “Yes” vote will be considered the pro-taxpayer position.
If you have any questions, please contact NTU Federal Affairs Manager Nan Swift at (703) 683-5700