Sen. Lugar Visits Orthopedic Companies
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Jennifer [email protected]
Lugar, who is seeking his seventh term as senator in the May 8 Republican primary, discussed with employees how the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act health care bill will affect the orthopedic industry. He also discussed his plans to seek re-election.
Lugar faces opponent Richard Mourdock, who currently serves as the state treasurer.
On Wednesday, Lugar visited Porter and St. Joseph counties’ voter registration offices. He took hundreds of petitions with signatures to get his name on the ballot for the U.S. senate seat.
“It is part of my work to be in touch with constituents and businesses and energize volunteers in our campaign,” Lugar said.
On Thursday, Lugar talked to orthopedic officials about his efforts to help repeal the medical device tax.
“I have opposed ObamaCare at every turn since the beginning and continue to support its repeal,” Lugar said.
He said job creation is a big issue, and said orthopedic companies are an industry that is creating jobs.
Lugar also spoke about foreign trade and said orthopedic companies are a big factor in terms of favorable balance of payments for the industry.
He said corporate taxes in other countries are much lower than the United States. He said there needs to be tax reform so American companies are not at a large disadvantage.
Lugar said he has signed on to an amicus brief to the U.S. Supreme Court opposing the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
The brief, filed by Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, argues to the court that the bill cannot function as written without mandating individuals to carry health insurance and the issue of mandating coverage cannot be separated from the rest of bill.
In January 2013, a 2.3 percent excise tax on medical device sales is scheduled to go into effect. This tax represents a substantial threat to the profits of medical device companies, said Lugar.
In September, Indiana was one of 26 states that asked the U.S. Supreme Court to consider their legal challenge to ObamaCare, which the court agreed it would do.
Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller then announced the “cert petition” formally asked the court to decide if “it is constitutional for Congress to mandate private individuals to buy health insurance or face a financial penalty – and if not, whether the entire health care law must be invalidated.”
Lugar, who was one of the earliest opponents of the bill and voted consistently against it, asked Zoeller on Jan. 5, 2010, to analyze the bill on constitutional grounds, ultimately leading to Indiana joining the case against the bill.
Lugar supported the two constitutional point of order votes against the bill during Senate consideration. Both were defeated by votes of 60-39. He also joined an earlier amicus brief in the appeals court process.
Lugar also will be included in an amicus brief scheduled to be submitted next month that argues the mandate as written exceeds the power the Constitution grants to Congress to regulate commerce among the states.
“I believe the entire law needs to be repealed and another law should be passed that brings about benefits for the American people,” Lugar said.
Lugar spoke about his run for seeking re-election to the seat. He said if re-elected he wants to continue to work with the disarming of the nuclear program of Russia.
He also wants to work with African countries to put security around pathogens and laboratories to prevent a biological outbreak.
“During my course of tenure in the senate I have been responsible over the last 20 years working with our defense department to disarm the Soviet Union and the former affiliates,” Lugar said.
He said he is working to eliminate agriculture subsidies, and working to get the Excel Pipe Line to run from Canada to the United States.
He said it would bring an increased oil supply and large boost to energy independence and create 20,000 new jobs in the United States and thousands of jobs in Indiana.[[In-content Ad]]
Lugar, who is seeking his seventh term as senator in the May 8 Republican primary, discussed with employees how the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act health care bill will affect the orthopedic industry. He also discussed his plans to seek re-election.
Lugar faces opponent Richard Mourdock, who currently serves as the state treasurer.
On Wednesday, Lugar visited Porter and St. Joseph counties’ voter registration offices. He took hundreds of petitions with signatures to get his name on the ballot for the U.S. senate seat.
“It is part of my work to be in touch with constituents and businesses and energize volunteers in our campaign,” Lugar said.
On Thursday, Lugar talked to orthopedic officials about his efforts to help repeal the medical device tax.
“I have opposed ObamaCare at every turn since the beginning and continue to support its repeal,” Lugar said.
He said job creation is a big issue, and said orthopedic companies are an industry that is creating jobs.
Lugar also spoke about foreign trade and said orthopedic companies are a big factor in terms of favorable balance of payments for the industry.
He said corporate taxes in other countries are much lower than the United States. He said there needs to be tax reform so American companies are not at a large disadvantage.
Lugar said he has signed on to an amicus brief to the U.S. Supreme Court opposing the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
The brief, filed by Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, argues to the court that the bill cannot function as written without mandating individuals to carry health insurance and the issue of mandating coverage cannot be separated from the rest of bill.
In January 2013, a 2.3 percent excise tax on medical device sales is scheduled to go into effect. This tax represents a substantial threat to the profits of medical device companies, said Lugar.
In September, Indiana was one of 26 states that asked the U.S. Supreme Court to consider their legal challenge to ObamaCare, which the court agreed it would do.
Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller then announced the “cert petition” formally asked the court to decide if “it is constitutional for Congress to mandate private individuals to buy health insurance or face a financial penalty – and if not, whether the entire health care law must be invalidated.”
Lugar, who was one of the earliest opponents of the bill and voted consistently against it, asked Zoeller on Jan. 5, 2010, to analyze the bill on constitutional grounds, ultimately leading to Indiana joining the case against the bill.
Lugar supported the two constitutional point of order votes against the bill during Senate consideration. Both were defeated by votes of 60-39. He also joined an earlier amicus brief in the appeals court process.
Lugar also will be included in an amicus brief scheduled to be submitted next month that argues the mandate as written exceeds the power the Constitution grants to Congress to regulate commerce among the states.
“I believe the entire law needs to be repealed and another law should be passed that brings about benefits for the American people,” Lugar said.
Lugar spoke about his run for seeking re-election to the seat. He said if re-elected he wants to continue to work with the disarming of the nuclear program of Russia.
He also wants to work with African countries to put security around pathogens and laboratories to prevent a biological outbreak.
“During my course of tenure in the senate I have been responsible over the last 20 years working with our defense department to disarm the Soviet Union and the former affiliates,” Lugar said.
He said he is working to eliminate agriculture subsidies, and working to get the Excel Pipe Line to run from Canada to the United States.
He said it would bring an increased oil supply and large boost to energy independence and create 20,000 new jobs in the United States and thousands of jobs in Indiana.[[In-content Ad]]
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