USA Today – by Marlin Stutzman
Indiana’s largest school district is located in Fort Wayne, in the heart of the congressional district I have the privilege to represent in the U.S. House of Representatives. In May, Fort Wayne Community Schools announced it was cutting the hours of more than 600 part-time employees.
Medical device manufacturers located in my congressional district have been forced to forgo new investments and lay off hundreds of Hoosiers because of a 2.3% excise tax on medical device equipment. That’s on top of tax hikes on hospitals, small businesses and individual paychecks.
And all across Indiana, Hoosiers are bracing for a 72% increase in the cost of individual insurance plans. Even worse, small businesses are dropping coverage for thousands of Americans. At the same time, fewer medical students are pursuing careers in family medicine.
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The reason for these problems?
The Affordable Care Act, otherwise known as ObamaCare.
Unfortunately, these problems aren’t limited to Indiana, and this is just the tip of the iceberg.
All across America, families and small businesses are struggling to make ends meet. They’re being crushed by higher taxes as well as more regulation and mandates from ObamaCare.
Even labor leader Jimmy Hoffa Jr., usually a reliable supporter of President Obama, said ObamaCare will “destroy the foundation of the 40-hour work week that is the backbone of the American middle class.”
ObamaCare was sold as a benefit to hardworking Americans, but it is hurting the very people it was intended to help.
In one encouraging sign, President Obama has signed seven bills that repeal parts of this law and has delayed several key provisions.
But we can’t stop there. If allowed to go into effect, it’s hard to imagine a single person in America who won’t feel its severe impact in some way.
That is why Republicans in Congress are doing everything in our power to defund it and stop it from taking effect.
Friday, the House will pass reasonable legislation that funds the government, taking a government shutdown off the table while defunding ObamaCare.
This isn’t about threatening a shutdown. This is about stopping the pain every American will feel. It’s time for the Senate to side with the American people as well.
Rep. Marlin Stutzman, a Republican, represents Indiana’s Third Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives.