Will Congressman Jason Altmire Hike Taxes on Medrad Workers in Warrendale?
New Obama healthcare plan endangers 17,482 Pennsylvania 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. Congressman Jason Altmire will have a chance to vote on this bill later this year.
This new tax will particularly hit the Medrad facility in Warrendale, Pennsylvania. It employs 1,200 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. “Congressman Altmire can talk all he wants. Now he has a choice to vote with the Democrat leadership and kill jobs in Pennsylvania or to summon the courage to vote against the Democrat leadership and protect those jobs.”
Statewide, there are 17,482 employees working for the medical device industry. The average medical device worker in Pennsylvania earns $44,800, higher than the state average of $33,500. Statewide, there were $5,488,656 in medical device sales in Pennsylvania in the latest reporting year.
Congressman Jason Altmire VOTED AGAINST this same tax hike just last year. How will the Congressman vote this time?
There are other medical device manufacturing employees in Congressman Jason Altmire’s district who are endangered by this tax hike. They work at the following locations:
- Renal Solutions in Warrendale – Renal Solutions employs 30-50 people
- Evaheart Medical USA in Pitssburgh – Evaheart employs 7 people
- Micor, Inc. in Allison Park – Micor employs 50-99 people