WASHINGTON, D.C. – With bipartisan support a bill to repeal a pending medical device tax passed through the House of Representatives Thursday.
And while those who support it were pleased with the outcome, it is almost assuredly going to die on the Senate floor or through a veto from President Barack Obama.
The bill passed 270-146 and had the support of 37 Democrats in the House.
Politico.com reported Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said he wouldn’t even bring the bill up for a vote on the Senate floor.
The bill would repeal the 2.3 percent medical device tax on companies like Biomet, DePuy and Zimmer set to go into effect in 2013.
The tax is one part of ObamaCare and the Congressional Budget Office reported that it would cut the federal deficit by $6.7 billion over the 10 years the tax is in effect.
Third district Representative Marlin Stutzman (R) was a sponsor of the bill.
“My district is home to the ‘Orthopedic Capital of the World’ in Warsaw, Indiana. More than 20,000 Hoosiers are employed by the medical device industry and this tax could eliminate more than 2,000 of those jobs,” said Stutzman in a prepared statement. “This tax threatens 10 percent of the industry’s jobs, including more than 2,000 jobs in Indiana.”
Follow staff writer Daniel Riordan on Twitter at @TUNews_Riordan
