Rhetoric surrounding the medical device tax continues to heat up as lawmakers use the measure as a political cannonball to target opponents in upcoming elections.
The National Republican Congressional Committee castigated Rep. Niki Tsongas (D-Mass.) over the tax, writing that her support for the Affordable Care Act fulfills Tsongas’ "commitment to her party’s limitless spending addiction and job-killing agenda."
"Families deserve a health care system that is modern, encourages job growth and isn’t forcing the national debt to spiral out of control," NRCC communications director Paul Lindsay said in prepared remarks. "However, Niki Tsongas’ refusal to stand up against ObamaCare and for her constituents is proof that she would rather sacrifice quality care and burden future generations with astronomical debt than break with her party’s failed agenda."
The statement appears on the website for Tsongas challenger Tom Weaver (R), who hopes to take the 5th district seat Tsongas has held since 2007.
It’s not the 1st time the NRCC has tried to use the med-tech tax as a wedge against Democratic incumbents. Slightly different versions of the press release went out to about 90 districts, targeting different local officials in 1 fell swoop.
Earlier this month, the group used the same language to target Rep. Jim Matheson (D-Utah), who’s defending his seat for the 6th time. Unlike Tsongas, Matheson was one of 34 Democrats who voted "no" on President Barack Obama’s landmark healthcare reform bill, and he has publicly stated his support for the "repeal of misguided elements of the healthcare law that are too costly, burdensome or over-reaching," according to a statement released earlier this year.
The anti-tax pressure may be working: This week, Rep. Bill Owens (D-N.Y.) announced his support for repealing the medical device tax. Although Owens said his decision to co-sponsor a bill repealing the levy was months in the making, the announcement followed, by about a week, an NRCC press release criticizing his lack of action against the tax.
