Washington, D.C.– The House Committee on Ways and Means passed legislation authored by Congressman Erik Paulsen (MN-03) to repeal the burdensome medical device tax. Paulsen’s bill, H.R. 160, the Protect Medical Innovation Act, eliminates the 2.3% excise tax imposed on the sale of medical devices that was included in the Affordable Care Act. The bill has broad bipartisan support with 281 cosponsors, including 40 Democrats.

“Elected officials from all different political stripes agree that the medical device tax is a bad policy that kills jobs and harms patients,” said Paulsen. “But, the time for talk is over. We need to stand up and put a repeal of this burdensome, anti-innovation tax on the President’s desk.”

Paulsen spoke at the committee hearing in favor of his legislation. In his remarks, he mentioned a small medical device business in his district, Signus Medical, that is paying an effective tax rate of 79% due to the tax. Video is available here.

Paulsen has long led the charge in Congress to repeal the medical device tax. Last November, he wrote a piece in the Wall Street Journal on why repealing the medical device tax should be a priority of the 114^th Congress.

In addition to passing H.R. 160, the Ways and Means Committee also passed the Steve Gleason Act, a bill introduced by Paulsen, Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA-05), and Congressman Steve Scalise (LA-01). The legislation protects access to speech generating devices for patients afflicted with degenerative conditions like ALS. More information on that legislation can be found here.

Paulsen, a champion of small business and advocate of free enterprise, entrepreneurship, and innovation, serves on the House Ways and Means Committee, the bicameral Joint Economic Committee, and is co-chair of the Congressional Medical Technology Caucus.

For more information on Congressman Paulsen’s work in Congress visit paulsen.house.gov.

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