Washington, D.C.– Congressman Erik Paulsen (MN-03) has introduced legislation that would repeal the burdensome medical device tax as his first piece of legislation in the 114^th Congress. The Protect Medical Innovation Act has broad bipartisan support with 254 cosponsors including 27 Democrats. The legislation repeals the 2.3% excise tax, included in the President’s health care law, that applies to the sale of medical device products. Similar legislation introduced by Paulsen in the 113^th Congress passed the U.S. House of Representatives on two different occasions but was not brought up for a vote in the U.S. Senate. However, the Senate did pass a non-binding budget resolution opposing the tax by a bipartisan vote of 79-20.

“The medical device tax continues to stifle innovation, cost American jobs, and drive up health care costs despite bipartisan opposition in both houses of Congress,” said Paulsen. “With over 250 cosponsors day one of the new session, it’s clear repealing this tax should be one of the priorities for the new Congress. The American people are looking for their elected officials in Washington to find common ground and repealing the medical device tax is a great place to start.”  

In November, Congressman Paulsen wrote a piece in the Wall Street Journal on why repealing the medical device tax should be one of the first steps the 114^th Congress should take.

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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