Dems join in calling for delay to ObamaCare medical device tax

FoxNews.com ^ | 12/11/2012

[RoosterRedux]

Democratic lawmakers have joined with Republicans in raising alarm about a looming ObamaCare-tied tax on medical devices, saying the additional tax is causing "uncertainty and confusion for businesses" and should be delayed.

The previously obscure tax has, over the last several months, emerged as one of the most controversial in the health care overhaul and one of the few with bipartisan opposition. Starting Jan. 1, the Affordable Care Act imposes a 2.3 percent tax on medical devices with the goal of raising nearly $30 billion over the next decade.

But a group of U.S. senators this week revived concerns that the tax could hurt one of the few U.S. industries "that enjoys a net trade surplus."

"The medical technology industry directly employs over 400,000 people in the United States and is responsible for a total of 2 million high-skilled manufacturing jobs," Minnesota Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar and North Carolina Democratic Sen. Kay Hagan wrote in a letter with 16 other senators and senators-elect Monday to Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid. "In an environment focused on increasing exports, promoting small businesses and growing high-tech manufacturing jobs for the future, 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."

[I want the USA back]

The reason why it was passed was TO DESTROY ONE OF THE FEW REMAINING US INDUSTRIES”

[cashless]

No. No. NO! A thousand times, NO! The Senators voted for Obamacare, the voters in the last election voted for tax increases. Elections have consequences. It is time the uninformed morons who vote for free stuff learn that there is no free lunch.

Make Democrats choose between the elderly and the perpetual welfare class as instituted by their imperial majesty Comrade El Presidente Caliph Sheik Imam Obama the First.

[BO Stinkss]

“The previously obscure tax...”

Obscure tax my ass! Hannity was screaming about this on Fox News before the bill was even passed.

[kabar]

This was predictable. The Dems shifted the pain of Obamacare until after the 2012 elections. The carrots were implemented immediately. Now they will do whatever is necessary to mitigate the pain part driving us further into debt and deficit.

Does anyone truly believe that $716 billion will be taken from Medicare--most of it due to reduced payments to doctors and hospitals? The Dems will find ways to support revenue to fund Obamacare and not touch Medicare. Look for the "rich" and defense to be the source of that revenue.

[Colonel_Flagg]

She’ll get them a waiver like they do for unions. Then when she runs for re-election, the employees and CEO will come out and smooth her giant buttocks in a TV ad.

She just ran in November. We're stuck with The Witless Wonder for the next six years.

[wrench]

The folks at GE must have read the bill. 6 months after it passed, they started shutting down their medical imaging operation in Wisconsin and moved it to China. Very high end and expensive equipment formerly manufactured in the USA will now be made in China.

[PMAS]

*

[Mack the knife]

Aren’t condoms medical devices?

Why are vibrators taxed and condoms aren’t?

[TurboZamboni]

I meant “smootch”...like that car dealer did when Brave Sir Amy “saved” his business with porkulus $(so he claimed in her ad)

[Made In The USA]

If the Dems are so concerned about higher overall expense to consumers... don’t stop there, kill the bill! The whole damn thing is going to be more expensive than what we have now.

[Resettozero]

Let the people fully experience what they voted for, without any further adjustments or changes.

If the majority of qualified voters really did vote for these things, then maybe yes. But we really didn't. And many of those who did should not have been permitted to vote.

Many voters tabulated in the "majority" you mention, do not exist.

[SoFloFreeper]

The Republicans ought to be doing press conferences on this every other day. Make the DemonRATS like Obama and his Cult OWN THE JOB LOSSES and HIGHER TAXES coming because of ObamaCare.

Shove it down their throats. Make no appearance, say nothing without reminding the listener of the coming taxes and job losses because of ObamaCare.

[phormer phrog phlyer]

If they want to negotiate, make it so onerous that it would be something that they would never agree to. As has been said many times elections have consequences, the same can be said with votes on legislation. The dems sowed these seeds of discontent, let them now reap their reward.

[TurboZamboni]

one that's on my car and gets me the finger from leftards