Will Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords Hike Taxes on Ventana Medical Systems Workers in Tucson?
New Obama healthcare plan endangers 4,506 Arizona jobs
WASHINGTON, D.C.— Buried in the latest government healthcare plan proposed by President Obama is a new tax on medical device manufacturers, who make everything from prosthetic limbs to pacemakers. The bill imposes a new tax of $2 billion per year (rising to $3 billion in 2017) on the industry. Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords will have a chance to vote on this bill later this year.
This new tax will particularly hit the Ventana Medical Systems facility in Tucson, Arizona. It employs 500-1000 people—workers who may find themselves with a pink slip instead of a paycheck if this jobs-killing tax hike goes through.
“Washington politicians like to talk about jobs, but speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and President Barack Obama want to raise taxes on the medical device industry that will kill jobs,” said Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform. “Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords can talk all she wants. Now she has a choice to vote with the Democrat leadership and kill jobs in Arizona or to summon the courage to vote against the Democrat leadership and protect those jobs.”
Statewide, there are 4,506 employees working for the medical device industry. The average medical device worker in Arizona earns $49,000, higher than the state average of $31,400. Statewide, there were $1.4 million in medical device sales in Arizona in the latest reporting year.
Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords VOTED FOR this same tax hike just last year. How will the Congresswoman vote this time?
