Sen. Cruz Cosponsors Legislation to Provide Tax Relief From Obamacare
Joins Sen. Gardner in support of Healthcare Tax Relief Act
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) today issued the following statement regarding his support for Sen. Cory Gardner’s (R-Colo.) bill, the Healthcare Tax Relief Act. This legislation delays the “Health Insurance Tax” created by Affordable Care for one year. The tax is a fee to health insurers on their health policy premiums. Sens. James M. Inhofe (R-Okla.), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), Rob Portman (R-Ohio), Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Dean Heller (R-Nev.), and Tim Scott (R-S.C.) also joined Sen. Gardner as original cosponsors of the legislation.
“I hear all the time, from Texans all over the state, who say, ‘I can’t afford health insurance anymore,’” Sen. Cruz said. “The federal government created that problem, and we’ve got a responsibility to fix it. The biggest reason so many millions of people are unhappy with Obamacare is its made premiums skyrocket. The average family’s premiums have risen over $5,000 a year under Obamacare. I am proud to join Sen. Gardner to provide Texans, and the American people some relief from the rising costs of health insurance premiums.”
“We need to look at every avenue we can to provide relief to the American people from the high costs created by the Affordable Care Act,” Sen. Gardner said. “My legislation delays a tax that once implemented would lead to even higher costs of care for Coloradans. President Obama promised that this law would drive down costs, and this tax is just another example of how that’s not even close to being reality.”
According to policy think tank American Action Forum, if implemented, the Health Insurance Tax would increase premiums as much as $5,000 over a decade. It would also directly impact approximately 11 million households that purchase insurance through individual market and another 23 million households that have insurance through their employer.
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