WASHINGTON (AP) — A bill aimed at repealing a tax on the makers of medical equipment is giving its Republican authors an election-season chance to claim they are protecting jobs and cutting taxes. At the same time, they’re taking a bite out of President Barack Obama’s health care law.
GOP leaders plan to push the measure through the House this week. It would repeal a 2.3 percent tax on the makers of medical devices for their U.S. sales.
The tax was enacted as part of the 2010 health care overhaul. It will collect an estimated $29 billion over the next decade — a small part of the health revamping’s cost.
Democrats say the device industry can easily afford the tax and will get millions of new customers from the health law.
