3rd District Congressman Banks Talks With Constituents In Warsaw
January 18, 2017 at 5:06 p.m.
3rd District Congressman Banks Talks With Constituents In Warsaw
By David [email protected]
The congressman from Columbia City dedicated most of the day to being in Warsaw: catching up with constituents, meeting with 40 orthopedic device industry leaders, lunching with the mayor and having coffee with Republican leaders in between.
On the minds of many of those was the medical device tax, a large component of the Affordable Care Act (also known as Obamacare), and their repeal.
Banks is an original co-sponsor of House Resolution 184, which provides for a full and immediate repeal of the medical device tax. He said HR 184 received broad bipartisan support with over 200 co-sponsors.
He’s also working with the Indiana Medical Device Manufacturers Council to circulate a letter to all members of his freshman class calling for support of HR 184 and fast track of that legislation because of the significance to the 3rd District and northeast Indiana.
“Once passed, the way the bill is written, it would take effect immediately,” Banks stated. Right now, however, there’s a temporary pause on the medical device tax so there’s no tax being levied. But it’s projected that when the pause ends, the tax will resume, he said.
In hearing stories from orthopedic leaders, Banks said the tax inhibits the research and development of orthopedic companies. They use funding for R&D to pay the tax, and it impacts jobs. “That’s their real world perspective: how the tax impacts our economy in Northeast Indiana, which is valuable perspective for me to take back to Washington to do the best job I can to represent the district.”
The Medical Device Tax is 2.3 percent, which could be the margin for a start-up orthopedic company to get off the ground and running. Banks talked to a number of smaller businesses Tuesday at Grace College when he met with the orthopedic leaders. He said their stories tell the powerful impact of the tax and how it hampers their ability to grow and succeed.
Last Friday, Banks said Congress passed the Budget Reconcilation Act, which sets forth the rules to repeal and replace Obamacare. The act sets a legislation maneuver where the Senate can pass an Obamacare repeal with 51 votes rather than 60. When Congress goes back to work next week after President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration, Banks said the Obamacare repeal process is very much in the works.
“But the missing component of that is the medical device tax repeal, which is a separate bill, HR 184, sponsored by Rep. (Erik) Paulsen (MN-03), and I’m one of the 10 original co-sponsors of that legislation, with broad support, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s yet got the attention of the leadership to move it forward, which is what I’m going for in my letter with my freshman class,” Banks said.
As for what would replace Obamacare once it’s repealed, he said, “One of the sad misnomers of, I think the rhetoric on the other side, is that there isn’t a replacement plan, which is absolutely false. There are a handful of plans with serious support on the Hill that the Speaker (Paul Ryan) has, his Better Way agenda, that includes a large replacement proposal.”
Banks said he co-sponsored a piece of legislation by Congressman Dr. Phil Roe, which is a conservative replacement plan to allow for the purchase of insurance across state lines and allow a deduction of health care costs on one’s taxes.
“Both of those plans protect pre-existing conditions and seek to protect some of the components that are important to many constituents and Hoosiers that I talk to as we talk about ACA repeal,” Banks said.
In the Speaker’s plan, which Banks said has vast support, there would be a three-year phase-in of the replacement.
“I believe, fundamentally, after coming off the campaign trail last year and understanding the significance of Obamacare repeal ... that more families have suffered from higher premiums, loss of work, less hours of work, loss of employment. Those are the real life examples in the 3rd District of Indiana that led us to this point where repeal and replace will offer something that’s better than what exists currently offered,” he stated.
He said he believes what will happen with a true market-based system will be better than what most people on the ACA now are experiencing with higher premiums, rising costs and less of a paycheck. There will be a significant debate over the next six weeks of what the Obamacare replacement will look like, he said.
“It’s the Speaker’s hope, the leadership’s hope, that we will repeal and replace it at the same time, which I think is important, and then that three-year phase-in will allow for that transition from one plan to another that hopefully will protect those who receive health insurance,” Banks said. “But the fact of the matter remains is that the outcome of?Obamacare has had a severe impact on more individuals and families than not.”
As part of repealing Obamacare, Republican lawmakers want to strip Planned Parenthood of its federal funding. Planned Parenthood received $553.7 million in government funding in 2014, according to MSN.com.
“I believe it’s important. That’s an issue that I continue to hear a lot from constituents about, heard a lot on the campaign trail,” Banks said.
Indiana defunded state funding of Planned Parenthood a few years ago at the statehouse, he said.
“There are a number of women’s healthcare facilities that perform the same services that Planned Parenthood does that don’t perform abortions. So some of us who are from a pro-life background who believe in those values would like to see our tax dollars go toward organizations that don’t perform abortions. So that is a part of the debate,” Banks said.
Ryan did a town hall meeting last week on CNN where he talked extensively about his hopes for that, Banks recalled, agreeing that he’d like to see Planned Parenthood or any other organizations that perform abortions defunded.
Asked if he envisions any drop-offs in any of those other services Planned Parenthood provides other than abortion, Banks responded, “Not at all. You look at the number of agencies and organizations that perform the same services, and no, I don’t believe so. As a father of three girls, I’m comfortable and confident knowing that there are other organizations that provide the same services that don’t perform abortions.”
He said he campaigned on that principal and isn’t afraid to be vocally critical of Planned Parenthood, and as an Indiana state senator he voted to defund Planned Parenthood.
The congressman from Columbia City dedicated most of the day to being in Warsaw: catching up with constituents, meeting with 40 orthopedic device industry leaders, lunching with the mayor and having coffee with Republican leaders in between.
On the minds of many of those was the medical device tax, a large component of the Affordable Care Act (also known as Obamacare), and their repeal.
Banks is an original co-sponsor of House Resolution 184, which provides for a full and immediate repeal of the medical device tax. He said HR 184 received broad bipartisan support with over 200 co-sponsors.
He’s also working with the Indiana Medical Device Manufacturers Council to circulate a letter to all members of his freshman class calling for support of HR 184 and fast track of that legislation because of the significance to the 3rd District and northeast Indiana.
“Once passed, the way the bill is written, it would take effect immediately,” Banks stated. Right now, however, there’s a temporary pause on the medical device tax so there’s no tax being levied. But it’s projected that when the pause ends, the tax will resume, he said.
In hearing stories from orthopedic leaders, Banks said the tax inhibits the research and development of orthopedic companies. They use funding for R&D to pay the tax, and it impacts jobs. “That’s their real world perspective: how the tax impacts our economy in Northeast Indiana, which is valuable perspective for me to take back to Washington to do the best job I can to represent the district.”
The Medical Device Tax is 2.3 percent, which could be the margin for a start-up orthopedic company to get off the ground and running. Banks talked to a number of smaller businesses Tuesday at Grace College when he met with the orthopedic leaders. He said their stories tell the powerful impact of the tax and how it hampers their ability to grow and succeed.
Last Friday, Banks said Congress passed the Budget Reconcilation Act, which sets forth the rules to repeal and replace Obamacare. The act sets a legislation maneuver where the Senate can pass an Obamacare repeal with 51 votes rather than 60. When Congress goes back to work next week after President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration, Banks said the Obamacare repeal process is very much in the works.
“But the missing component of that is the medical device tax repeal, which is a separate bill, HR 184, sponsored by Rep. (Erik) Paulsen (MN-03), and I’m one of the 10 original co-sponsors of that legislation, with broad support, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s yet got the attention of the leadership to move it forward, which is what I’m going for in my letter with my freshman class,” Banks said.
As for what would replace Obamacare once it’s repealed, he said, “One of the sad misnomers of, I think the rhetoric on the other side, is that there isn’t a replacement plan, which is absolutely false. There are a handful of plans with serious support on the Hill that the Speaker (Paul Ryan) has, his Better Way agenda, that includes a large replacement proposal.”
Banks said he co-sponsored a piece of legislation by Congressman Dr. Phil Roe, which is a conservative replacement plan to allow for the purchase of insurance across state lines and allow a deduction of health care costs on one’s taxes.
“Both of those plans protect pre-existing conditions and seek to protect some of the components that are important to many constituents and Hoosiers that I talk to as we talk about ACA repeal,” Banks said.
In the Speaker’s plan, which Banks said has vast support, there would be a three-year phase-in of the replacement.
“I believe, fundamentally, after coming off the campaign trail last year and understanding the significance of Obamacare repeal ... that more families have suffered from higher premiums, loss of work, less hours of work, loss of employment. Those are the real life examples in the 3rd District of Indiana that led us to this point where repeal and replace will offer something that’s better than what exists currently offered,” he stated.
He said he believes what will happen with a true market-based system will be better than what most people on the ACA now are experiencing with higher premiums, rising costs and less of a paycheck. There will be a significant debate over the next six weeks of what the Obamacare replacement will look like, he said.
“It’s the Speaker’s hope, the leadership’s hope, that we will repeal and replace it at the same time, which I think is important, and then that three-year phase-in will allow for that transition from one plan to another that hopefully will protect those who receive health insurance,” Banks said. “But the fact of the matter remains is that the outcome of?Obamacare has had a severe impact on more individuals and families than not.”
As part of repealing Obamacare, Republican lawmakers want to strip Planned Parenthood of its federal funding. Planned Parenthood received $553.7 million in government funding in 2014, according to MSN.com.
“I believe it’s important. That’s an issue that I continue to hear a lot from constituents about, heard a lot on the campaign trail,” Banks said.
Indiana defunded state funding of Planned Parenthood a few years ago at the statehouse, he said.
“There are a number of women’s healthcare facilities that perform the same services that Planned Parenthood does that don’t perform abortions. So some of us who are from a pro-life background who believe in those values would like to see our tax dollars go toward organizations that don’t perform abortions. So that is a part of the debate,” Banks said.
Ryan did a town hall meeting last week on CNN where he talked extensively about his hopes for that, Banks recalled, agreeing that he’d like to see Planned Parenthood or any other organizations that perform abortions defunded.
Asked if he envisions any drop-offs in any of those other services Planned Parenthood provides other than abortion, Banks responded, “Not at all. You look at the number of agencies and organizations that perform the same services, and no, I don’t believe so. As a father of three girls, I’m comfortable and confident knowing that there are other organizations that provide the same services that don’t perform abortions.”
He said he campaigned on that principal and isn’t afraid to be vocally critical of Planned Parenthood, and as an Indiana state senator he voted to defund Planned Parenthood.
Have a news tip? Email [email protected] or Call/Text 360-922-3092