Pass the Health Insurance Tax Relief Act

Congress has wasted so much time this fall on partisan investigations that they've accomplished virtually nothing for the American people. With just days left in the legislative calendar, Congress needs to focus on getting some bipartisan wins before the end of the year.

One of the most straightforward bills that could pass in short order is the Health Insurance Tax Relief Act of 2019, which would suspend one of the most heavy-handed Obamacare taxes and save American families hundreds of dollars per year in increased health care premium costs. The legislation is very similar to measures that Congress passed in 2015 and 2018 with bipartisan support, and it should be a simple matter to do so again.

Besides the fact that more than half the tax is ultimately shouldered by working- and middle-class households, 88 percent of small-business owners purchase coverage for their employees through the fully insured marketplace.

Earlier this fall, I led a roundtable of concerned citizens to discuss the Health Insurance Tax. There was a consensus among the small business owners in attendance that rising health care premiums are the top issue affecting their growth opportunities. Small-business owners will be put in difficult positions in order to afford the extra costs.

Iowa's congressional delegation should work with their colleagues to put H. R. 1398 and S. 172 to an up-or-down vote within the next several days.

Gloria Mazza

Clive