Most Senate Dems Join GOP Push To Repeal Obamacare Tax

Sahil Kapur

A majority of Senate Democrats want to eliminate a $29 billion piece of Obamacare.

Thirty-four Democratic senators joined every Republican Thursday night in voting for a nonbinding budget amendment to repeal the law’s 2.3 percent sales tax on medical devices. It passed 79-20 — a victory for the powerful device industry, which has raised hell over the tax.

The Democratic cosponsors for the measure, offered by Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT), were Sens. Amy Klobuchar (MN), Al Franken (MN), Joe Donnelly (IN) and Bob Casey (PA) — all of whom are from states with a strong presence among device makers. The No. 2 and No. 3 Democratic Sens. Dick Durbin (IL) and Chuck Schumer (NY) also voted for repeal.

“Today’s action shows there is strong bipartisan support for repealing the medical device tax, with Democrats and Republicans uniting behind our effort,” Klobuchar said after the vote. “I will continue to work to get rid of this harmful tax so Minnesota’s medical device businesses can continue to create good jobs in our state and improve patients’ lives.”

The tax, which went into effect in January, represents a years-long power struggle between the medical device industry and the upper echelons of the Democratic totem pole. Unlike other industries who came to the negotiating table and made concessions during the health care reform debate, device makers firmly resisted, and ended up taking a hit. Since then they have waged a fierce, relentless campaign to repeal the excise tax.

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