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Democrats urge delay for ‘job-killing’ Obamacare tax
Washington Examiner ^ | December 11, 2012 | Byron York

Posted on 12/13/2012 9:58:59 AM PST by neverdem

Sixteen Democratic senators who voted for the Affordable Care Act are asking that one of its fundraising mechanisms, a 2.3 percent tax on medical devices scheduled to take effect January 1, be delayed.  Echoing arguments made by Republicans against Obamacare, the Democratic senators say the levy will cost jobs — in a statement Monday, Sen. Al Franken called it a “job-killing tax” — and also impair American competitiveness in the medical device field.

The senators, who made the request in a letter(PDF) to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, are Franken, Richard Durbin, Charles Schumer, Patty Murray, John Kerry, Kirsten Gillibrand, Amy Klobuchar, Joseph Lieberman, Ben Nelson, Robert Casey, Debbie Stabenow, Barbara Mikulski, Kay Hagan, Herb Kohl, Jeanne Shaheen, and Richard Blumenthal.  All voted for Obamacare.

Two other Democrats, senators-elect Joe Donnelly and Elizabeth Warren, also signed the letter.  Donnelly voted for Obamacare as a member of the House.  Warren was not in Congress at the time.

“The medical technology industry directly employs over 400,000 people in the United States and is responsible for a total of two million skilled manufacturing jobs,” the senators wrote in a December 4 letter to Reid.  “We must do all we can to ensure that our country maintains its global leadership position in the medical technology industry and keeps good jobs here at home.”

Beyond that, the senators say, the medical device industry “has received little guidance about how to comply with the tax” — a reference to the apparently confused and halting nature of the Obama administration’s implementation of Obamacare.

Several of the senators, many of whom have medical device manufacturers in their states, have opposed the tax for a long time.  During the Obamacare debate, for example, Franken and Klobuchar were among a group of senators who successfully pushed to reduce the tax. (The device giant Medtronic is headquartered in Minnesota.)

On Monday, Franken again expressed his opposition to the tax he voted for.  “I want to repeal the medical device tax altogether,” the senator and former comedian said in a statement.  “But I am concerned that we are running out of time before this job-killing tax goes into effect. So, for now, the best thing to do to ensure that this important industry continues to create jobs and producing life-saving devices is to delay this unwise tax.”  Franken and other want Reid to include a provision to delay the tax in the ongoing fiscal cliff negotiations.

None of the senators found his or her earlier objections to the tax a sufficient reason to vote against Obamacare.  In December 2009, with 60 votes in the Senate and a determined Republican opposition, Democrats needed every vote they could get to pass the president’s national health care plan.  But now, with Obamacare — and the taxes to fund it — about to become a reality, some of those Democrats are singing a different tune.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; Front Page News; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 2percent; democrats; fiscalcliff; franken; klobuchar; medical; obamacare; opportunity; taxes; taxeson2percent; taxesontherich
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To: EQAndyBuzz

I like that idea:o)


21 posted on 12/13/2012 10:33:06 AM PST by mtnwmn (Liberalism leads to Socialism)
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To: Pikachu_Dad
What rotten people. This tax that they passed has been coming for a long time. Only NOW do they complain?

That's how Crony Capitalists roll. If SCOTUS had struck down the mandate but allowed the rest of Obamacare to live the insurance industry would have done a 180 faster than you can say "pre-existing".


22 posted on 12/13/2012 10:38:37 AM PST by Buckeye McFrog
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To: neverdem

In the immortal words of John Kerry...”I was for it, before I was against it”.


23 posted on 12/13/2012 10:39:00 AM PST by woweeitsme
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To: Pikachu_Dad

“Only NOW do they complain?”

Nobody on their side could say anything negative before the election. There could be no crack in the façade. Now, they have to act as though they’re working in the best interests of their constituents. Most likely this is a show put on for the sake of a show. If it comes down to a vote they’ll vote the straight ticket or organize the vote so that the taxes remain but those who need to can say they voted against it when they run again. It’s a game and We The People lose every time.


24 posted on 12/13/2012 10:40:03 AM PST by Gen.Blather
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To: Pikachu_Dad

“Only NOW do they complain?”

Nobody on their side could say anything negative before the election. There could be no crack in the façade. Now, they have to act as though they’re working in the best interests of their constituents. Most likely this is a show put on for the sake of a show. If it comes down to a vote they’ll vote the straight ticket or organize the vote so that the taxes remain but those who need to can say they voted against it when they run again. It’s a game and We The People lose every time.


25 posted on 12/13/2012 10:40:03 AM PST by Gen.Blather
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To: neverdem

I’m starting to think John Roberts was a genius or inspired by the Holy Spirit to write that opinion. Let the chips fall where they may.


26 posted on 12/13/2012 10:42:50 AM PST by old and tired
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To: 556x45

I don’t think he’s come to the conclusion that this is a bad idea,

he just wants the credit for “universal healthcare access” without any of the negatives inherent to such a system.

Just another leftist trying to legislate away reality.


27 posted on 12/13/2012 10:43:51 AM PST by MrB (The difference between a Humanist and a Satanist - the latter admits whom he's working for)
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To: neverdem

Maybe they should have read the bill before they passed it.


28 posted on 12/13/2012 10:47:21 AM PST by Axelsrd
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To: Hotlanta Mike

The Blue Shield in California rate hikes make me smile. I know a few left wingers out there who will be bringing home less pay. Funny, funny, funny!


29 posted on 12/13/2012 10:47:42 AM PST by Terry Mross (I don't watch the "news". Someone ping me if something big happens.)
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To: Terry Mross

da spin: Evil, greedy insurance companies gouging people.


30 posted on 12/13/2012 10:48:36 AM PST by MrB (The difference between a Humanist and a Satanist - the latter admits whom he's working for)
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To: neverdem

What good is a delay? If the tax is bad for the country then it will be bad two years from now. I truly believe we have elected the biggest collection of idiots to ever be assembled under one roof.


31 posted on 12/13/2012 10:49:31 AM PST by kg_mobster
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To: neverdem

Frankendork is up for re-election in 2014, which is probably the only reason he’s pulling this stunt.


32 posted on 12/13/2012 11:00:22 AM PST by DemforBush (You might very well think that. I could not *possibly* comment.)
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To: neverdem

chickens....come home....to roost


33 posted on 12/13/2012 11:02:01 AM PST by bigbob
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To: silverleaf
delay it at least until your next election campaign is over, right Al Franken?

There is a good reason Dante reserved a special place in the lower rings of hell for the Hypocrites.

34 posted on 12/13/2012 11:04:41 AM PST by Mr. K (some days even my lucky rocketship underpants don't help...)
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To: neverdem
I lost my job with a medical device company two weeks ago. The reason they gave me for eliminating my position? ...Obama's 2.3 medical device tax.

Just to comply, the company had to find an additional three million dollars. ...That placed the target on my back and others like me at the director level.

35 posted on 12/13/2012 11:11:26 AM PST by Nonplussed
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To: neverdem
We told you this was in the bill. And you laughed. We told you to read the bill before voting for it. And you sneered and called us racist. We told you this would raise taxes to draconian levels. And you flipped us the bird.

So all I can say now is: f**k off!
36 posted on 12/13/2012 11:11:37 AM PST by Tzimisce (What do you do when every every branch of the government is corrupt and aligned against you?)
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To: Tzimisce

The Democrats are not sincere, they are only trying to fool their sheep and buy time.


37 posted on 12/13/2012 11:13:44 AM PST by sport
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To: wardaddy; Joe Brower; Cannoneer No. 4; Criminal Number 18F; Dan from Michigan; Eaker; Jeff Head; ...
Public Support of Tax Increase Is a Myth The lame stream media is pushing an analysis for chumps!

Replacing Speaker Boehner - Here's how and why it has to be done.

New Army Manual Orders Soldiers Not To Criticize Taliban

Appeals court overturns Illinois concealed carry law in gun rights victory

Some noteworthy articles about politics, foreign or military affairs, IMHO, FReepmail me if you want on or off my list.

38 posted on 12/13/2012 12:08:23 PM PST by neverdem ( Xin loi min oi)
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To: neverdem

Did these Dems have the CBO score how much this suggestion of theirs will “cost the government”?

I bet that this will “deprive the government of more revenue” than the proposed “tax on the 2%”.


39 posted on 12/14/2012 1:56:00 PM PST by AFPhys ((Praying for our troops, our citizens, that the Bible and Freedom become basis of the US law again))
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To: neverdem

Thanks for the ping!


40 posted on 12/14/2012 9:20:18 PM PST by Alamo-Girl
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