Republicans are trying to include the repeal of an excise tax on medical devices in a package of tax breaks moving through the U.S. Senate this week.
If their maneuver succeeds, Republicans could make a dent in the 2010 health care law they oppose and satisfy companies such as Medtronic Inc. (MDT) and Boston Scientific (BSX) Corp. that want the excise tax repealed. A non-binding vote last year to end the tax was backed by 79 senators.
So many senators have said that they were in favor of repealing it in a non-binding resolution, said Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky. Why not have that vote when it really counts?
Democrats, who are split on whether to repeal the excise tax, control the Senate floor calendar and havent decided whether they will allow a vote.
Im not sure this is the right time or the right vehicle, said Senator Bob Casey, a Pennsylvania Democrat who supports rescinding the tax.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, a Nevada Democrat, didnt explicitly rule out a vote on the device tax.
Im not going to cry any big tears over the device folks, he said. Their profits were huge last year.
The broader tax bill being debated would revive more than 50 tax breaks that lapsed at the end of 2013 and extend them through 2015. They include the research and development tax credit and a provision that lets individuals exclude debt forgiven if they sell their home for less than they owe on the mortgage.
The measure scaled its first procedural hurdle today in a 96-3 vote. Senators must cast several more votes before they can pass the bill, which would add $84.1 billion to the U.S. budget deficit over the next decade, according to the Congressional Budget Office.
The legislation includes provisions backed by most Democrats and opposed by some Republicans, including the production tax credit for wind energy.
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Republicans Push Medical-Device Tax Repeal in U.S. Senate