Chamber backs Paulsen’s medical device tax repeal
One of Republican Rep. Erik Paulsen's top priorities in this Congress is to repeal a new tax on medical devices, and he just got a new ally: the U.S. Chamber of Congress, the nation's biggest business lobby.
The 2.3 percent excise tax on medical devices is part of the health care overhaul passed last year, and the money raised by the tax is supposed to go toward the law's implementation starting in 2013. Paulsen has introduced legislation to eliminate the tax.
"This new 2.3 percent tax on virtually all medical devices beginning in 2013 will lead to increased health care costs, undercutting one of the primary goals of health care reform," said R. Bruce Josten, the Chamber's top lobbyist.
The Chamber's support is significant. The organization carries considerable clout in Washington and spent $132 million lobbying lawmakers and the federal government last year, more than any other organization, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.
Paulsen is very close to the medical device industry, which has a considerable presence in his district and in Minnesota. Yesterday, Paulsen launched the bipartisan congressional Medical Technology Caucus website.
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