BOSTON — Today, the U.S. House voted to repeal the medical device tax, a job-killing impediment to growth and innovation in Massachusetts.  The Commonwealth hosts over 400 medical device firms directly responsible for 25,000 jobs and impacting over 80,000 more in related industries.  Yet five Massachusetts Democratic congressmen voted to stand against Massachusetts workers by maintaining the medical device tax, which costs these companies over $400 million annually. MassGOP Chairman Kirsten Hughes released the following statement:

“Given the size and scope of the medical device industry in the Commonwealth, this tax is a direct attack on Massachusetts. The Massachusetts Democrats who voted to keep this job-killing impediment to growth have shown that they care less about the interests of the Commonwealth and more about their partisan, Washington, D.C. agenda.”

Below are the five Massachusetts Democrats who voted against 400 Massachusetts companies and 100,000 Massachusetts workers:

Democrat Michael Capuano
Democrat Joseph Kennedy
Democrat James McGovern
Democrat Richard Neal
Democrat Niki Tsongas

Background:

Today, the US House of Representatives voted to repeal the medical device tax, but five Massachusetts congressmen voted to keep the tax. “Legislation repealing the 2.3 percent federal tax on medical devices cleared the U.S. House Thursday on a vote of 280-140, and an industry leader in Massachusetts predicted the proposal would pass the Senate if it emerges for a vote but face a veto from President Barack Obama. Members of the Massachusetts delegation were split on the vote, with four voting for repeal and five voting against repeal.” (Michael Norton, US House votes to repeal medical device tax, State House News Service, 6/17/15)

The costs of the medical device tax affect tens of thousands of Massachusetts jobs and hundreds of Massachusetts businesses in the health care sector, according to a recent study by the Pioneer Institute. “The new report, authored by Pioneer Health Care Policy Director, Josh Archambault and Xiaofei (Jackie) Zhou, examines the potential impacts on the over 400 medical device companies in Massachusetts, making the state the second highest concentration of employees in the nation, at 24,268. The law could also impact 82,000 additional jobs in related industries,” (“New Report: Medical Device Tax Will Cost MA Employers $422 Million+ Per Year,” Pioneer Institute, 4/18/13)

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