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Paulsen: President's Jobs Council Says U.S. Losing Med-Tech Edge

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 13th, 2011

 

Paulsen: President’s Jobs Council Says U.S. Losing Med-Tech Edge

White House also needs to Account forJob-Crushing Medical Innovation Tax

Washington, DC – A new report from the President’s Jobs Council confirms what Rep. Erik Paulsen (MN-03), co-chair of the House Medical Technology Caucus, and many medical technology companies have been saying: that the inefficient and unpredictable nature of the FDA is causing America’s medical technology industry to lose its competitive edge to Europe. The report contained one glaring omission: that the President’s own tax on medical innovation is compounding the problems facing this industry.

“While I appreciate the recognition by President’s Jobs Council of the need to reform the FDA, this report failed to mention how the medical technology industry will be affected by the $20 billion innovation tax,” said Paulsen. “If the President and his colleagues are serious about protecting jobs here in the United States, then repealing this onerous tax on life-saving technologies needs to be part of the conversation.”

The report from the President’s Jobs Council canbe viewed here (PDF).

Rep. Paulsen spoke briefly with the President in August about the need to make the FDA’s approval processes more predictable as well as repealing the 2.4% excise tax on medical technology firms that was included in the 2010 healthcare law. Paulsen is the chief author of H.R. 436, the “Protect Medical Innovation Act of 2011,” legislation that would repeal the $20 billion tax. The bill currently has the bipartisan support of 196 co-sponsors.

Paulsen, a champion of small business and advocate of free enterprise, entrepreneurship, and innovation currently serves on the House Ways and Means Committee, and is co-chair of the Congressional U.S.–Korea Free Trade Working Group.

For more information on Rep. Paulsen’s work in Congress, please visit www.paulsen.house.gov.

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