Twitter users didn’t hesitate to weigh in on the Senate’s overwhelming passage of a non-binding amendment to repeal the medical device excise tax.
Within minutes of the 70-20 vote in support of the repeal amendment the 1st tweets began rolling in, initially from Senate floor monitors and other Congressional watchdogs, but the store spread quickly as Senator Dan Coats (R-Ind.) tweeted the results and media picked up on the news.
Social media reactions to the vote were heavily one-sided, with very few messages in support of keeping the medical device tax intact.
Several Senators joined in the conversation, voicing their enthusiasm for the vote and touting their victory. We at MassDevice.com picked out some highlights from the firehose of tweets that immediately followed the Senate decision:
Voted w/ @senorrinhatch & @amyklobuchar to repeal #Obamacare 2.3% medical device tax that jeopardizes #IN jobs & increases costs. #budget
— Senator Dan Coats (@SenDanCoats) March 22, 2013
OK, it’s non-binding but this huge vote to repeal medical device tax — a funding mechanism for ObamaCare — has to be a WH embarassment
— Jonathan Weisman (@jonathanweisman) March 22, 2013
Device tax repeal passes Senate 79-20. But, 1) Underlying bill is non-binding 2) Amendment did not include a pay-for, I believe.
— Devin Henry (@dhenry) March 22, 2013
Device tax repeal is part of the GOP’s sly strategy to pit parts of Obamacare against others freebeacon.com/repeal-by-a-th…
— Lachlan Markay (@lachlan) March 22, 2013
Device tax repeal pay-for has always been the sticking point. Dems objected to House GOP pay-for last session (bit.ly/163I7T2)
— Devin Henry (@dhenry) March 22, 2013
Sen voted 79-20 to provide for repeal of med device tax-a step in the rt direction. I will continue fight to roll back this job-killing tax.
— Kelly Ayotte (@KellyAyotte) March 22, 2013
.@senorrinhatch: “For the first time, Dems. & Repubs. have come together in recognizing how bad [Med device] tax is.We cannot stop here.”
— GOP Senate Finance (@GOPSenFinance) March 22, 2013
Sen voted 79-20 to provide for repeal of med device tax-a step in the rt direction. I will continue fight to roll back this job-killing tax.
— Kelly Ayotte (@KellyAyotte) March 22, 2013
#Sorry I see the repeal of the medical device tax tonite as a good 1st small step – Not a Stunt
— Tom T. (@VRWCTexan) March 22, 2013
Senate passes budget amendment resolution to repeal device tax 79 to 20. Full repeal should be next step. Statement to come shortly
— AdvaMed (@AdvaMedUpdate) March 22, 2013
“@massdevice: FLASH: Senate votes 79-20 in favor of medical device tax repeal amendment #devicetax #meddevice ow.ly/jiZal”YESS!
— David Lee Scher, MD (@dlschermd) March 22, 2013
But it was critical! RT @jamiedupree: Senate votes 79-20 for repeal of the medical device tax in the Obama health law
— insignificant toad (@Burkeanone) March 22, 2013
I see there’s overwhelming bipartisan consensus to repeal the ACA’s medical device tax because deficits.
— Brian Beutler (@brianbeutler) March 22, 2013
Will Obama listen? Senate votes to REPEAL #ObamaCare medical device tax by wide bipartisan vote of 79-20 bit.ly/10pCixF”
— TexanIndiana (@TexanIndiana) March 22, 2013
I’m pleased that the Senate voted to repeal the $30 billion job-killing medical device tax. Another step to unraveling #Obamacare.
— Senator John Thune (@SenJohnThune) March 22, 2013
The amendment I introduced with @amyklobuchar to repeal #Obamacare‘s medical device tax passed 79-20 tonight with strong bipartisan support
— Orrin Hatch (@OrrinHatch) March 22, 2013
Of Democratic senators in potentially close races next yr, 3 voted ‘no’ on amendment to kill medical device tax: Baucus, Johnson & Landrieu
— Tom Curry (@NBC_Tom_Curry) March 22, 2013
