Rep. Erik Paulsen’s bid to kill the 2.3% medical device tax passed the tipping point last week and kept on going, with the Minnesota Republican claiming another 10 co-signers have added their names to the 218 who’ve already signed the measure.
"We’ve got enough votes to pass the bill. Actually, I added about another 10 authors just today that will added onto the bill next week," Paulsen said during a radio appearance last week.
Last week Paulsen touted reaching the 218-sponsor mark, meaning his "Protect Medical Innovation Act of 2013" has enough votes to pass the U.S. House. As of this morning, the government’s Thomas.gov legislation database listed 222 sponsors for the bill.
Last Friday Paulsen told conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt that he’s going to try to work with some of the 79 senators who approved a symbolic bid to repeal the tax last month to move repeal through the upper chamber – despite resistance from Senate leaders and the White House, Paulsen said.
"But we’ve got a Senate leader, [Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.)], who is very hostile to this measure. He didn’t vote for the repeal. [Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.)], the finance chair, didn’t vote for the repeal. And I think leadership, and [House Ways & Means chairman Rep. Dave Camp (R-Mich.)], are rightfully saying, ‘Well, we don’t want to send a revenue bill even though it’s the right political thing to do, the right policy thing to do, it makes sense, over to the Senate and have them, have some mischief – change the bill and you know, alter revenue in some other way and do something that’s hostile to our intentions,’" he told Hewitt. " So I think we’re going to try and see if we can work out some agreements with some of those 79 senators. That’s what we need to do."
Paulsen said last year’s House vote to repeal the medical device tax and the momentum behind repeal this year "shamed the Senate into that vote."
This year’s House repeal bid would roll the tax back retroactive to Dec. 31, 2012. It’s slated for an airing before the House Way’s & Means Committee this year. A Senate companion bill, sponsored by Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), faces dim prospects in the Democratically-controlled Senate, despite impassioned backing from Paulsen in February.
"We have the support in the House, but in order to see this bill put into law, the Senate must also act. We need your help in making this legislation a reality," Paulsen urged in a grassroots appeal. "Please contact your Senator or Congressman. If they are on the list, thank them for the support. If they aren’t, explain why repealing the tax is important to you, patients, and our economy and ask them to co-sponsor."
Paulsen re-introduced the repeal legislation Feb. 6 with Rep. Ron Kind (D-Wis.). The Hatch bill had 30 supporters in the Senate as of March 22, from 26 Republicans but only 4 Democrats.
