Open Left

Paying for health care (4.00 / 2)

Donna,

Thanks for being here.

Two questions.

1. I've been reading lately (including in today's NYTimes piece "Democrats are at Odds On Financing Health Care" that taxing employer benefits is now off the table as a means to pay for the legislation. Is it your opinion that taxing employer benefits will NOT be in the final legislation?

2. What are you supportive of as a means to pay for the legislation outside of eventual savings to come? Increasing taxes on the wealthy? A Medicare surchage on dividends and capital gains? Increasing taxes on sodas and cigarettes? Something else?

Thanks.

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by: Adam Bink @ Fri Jul 10, 2009 at 06:34:30 AM CDT

Response from Representative Edwards (0.00 / 0)

I think there is strong opposition from a lot of quarters for taxing employer provided benefits, and I count myself among them.  As we know, many employees make a lot of work choices based on their employer provided health care benefits -- we want them to continue to enjoy those benefits.  I'm certain that Speaker Pelosi has spoken out very clearly about this bad idea and I agree with her on this one.

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by: Chris Bowers @ Fri Jul 10, 2009 at 11:52:58 AM CDT

[ Parent | ]

Besides (0.00 / 0)

If a "robust" (whatever that means) public option is provided and citizens are allowed to switch to the public plan from their employer-based plans the problem will be reduced tax revenues because fewer employer plans means less tax collected. Meanwhile the demand for the public plan will be increasing because more citizens are taking that option. In short, a recipe for failure: more demand amid reduced funds.


"It sounds wrong...
     ...but its right."

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by: SpitBall @ Fri Jul 10, 2009 at 13:13:31 PM CDT

[ Parent | ]