Healthcare reform tax on medical devices is a mistake

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During a time when our nation’s economy struggles to stabilize and manufacturing jobs continue to diminish there has been one industry within the manufacturing sector that has ascended as a global leader – America’s medical device industry. This industry, described as an American success story, has brought us lifesaving technologies such as pacemakers, CT scanners, artificial joints, defibrillators, and cardiac stents; as well as many jobs here at home.
 
The medical device industry employs over 400,000 Americans directly and is indirectly accountable for roughly 2 million high-skilled manufacturing jobs. According to a 2012 Battelle Technology Partnership Practice report, over 14,000 people are directly employed in Ohio by the medical technology industry. Further, from a Lewin Group report, for every medical technology job an additional 1.9 positions are created in the state.

While Americans are currently experiencing a decrease in wages, the average annual salary within the medical device industry is 40 percent above the national average, according to the Medical Device Manufacturers Association. In Ohio, the average medical technology employee earns 12.8 percent more than the average employee earnings in the state.
 
Unfortunately, the future of this growing and innovative industry is confronted with much uncertainty as it prepares for the implementation of the Affordable Care Act (also known as ObamaCare), specifically a 2.3 percent excise tax on the sale of any medical device. A 2.3 percent excise tax will be devastating to the medical device industry, threatening to stifle innovation and the creation of American jobs. Once estimated to be a $20 billion excise tax, but now is estimated to collect over $30 billion in taxes, this ObamaCare pay-for went into effect January 1, 2013.
 
Combined with a 35 percent corporate tax rate, state and local taxes, and the 2.3 percent tax on its sales, not profits, many medical device manufacturers are faced with a severe tax hike. As a result, companies are looking at a host of options to offset this tax in order to remain competitive and profitable, including increased consumer prices, relocating business to overseas where tax rates are much lower, and layoffs. In a recent Reuters report, publicly traded medical technology companies have cut approximately 7,000 American jobs in 2012, and according to an AdvaMed survey conducted in late December of last year, 62 percent of companies surveyed said they are planning layoffs or reduced hiring to help offset the tax.
 
Along with the loss of domestic jobs, budgets for research and development have been slashed. A report from the Pacific Research Institute shows that it is estimated that the medical device tax will reduce industry research and development investment by $2 billion annually. Ultimately, medical devices will be produced outside of the United States and our national health care quality hindered.
 
While we move forward to spur our economic growth, we cannot afford burdensome tax policies, such as the medical device tax that create a hostile business environment and hamper job retention and creation. With a strong manufacturing presence and numerous innovative, world-class hospitals and medical centers, Ohio stands to lose on jobs and economic growth should this tax not be repealed.  In addition to jobs in Ohio, full repeal of this tax will save up to 47,000 jobs nationally, support medical innovation, and provide American families with more choices and flexibility.
 
Congress must act to repeal the medical device tax before the policy becomes irreversible. In June of last year, a bill of which I am a cosponsor, H.R. 436 sponsored by Rep. Erik Paulsen (R-Minn.), to repeal the medical device tax, passed the U.S. House; however, it was not taken up in the Senate, despite its growing bipartisan support.
 
There are few industries that have had such positive growth over the past several years as the medical device industry, and in this fragile economy, these jobs are more important than ever. The medical device tax is one of the most onerous taxes contained in the health care law, and must be repealed.
 
Latta, a Republican from Ohio, serves on the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

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Scottish Archbishop Expects Government To Cater To Church’s Opposition To Marriage Equality

Archbishop Mario Conti

Not expecting to be outdone by the many other bishops who’ve attacked same-sex couples already this month, Scottish Archbishop Emeritus Mario Conti penned a letter this week to the Catholic journal The Tablet expressing his own opposition to marriage equality. In fact, he believes the Catholic Church’s stance must “surely be worthy of consideration” by the government because it helps “promote the moral well-being of society.” Here’s how Conti framed that position:

While it is true, certainly within Catholic social teaching, that governments are not required to make all immoral actions illegal, to many it is unhelpful, unnecessary and indeed profoundly unwise for political action to do quite the opposite, namely to attempt through the law, by equating homosexual unions with heterosexual marriage, to render moral what is in itself morally defective.

So far in 2013, members of the Catholic hierarchy have already referred to same-sex marriage as “morally defective” and an “immoral activity,” and claimed that gay people don’t really exist, but if they claim to, then God obliges them to a life of chastity. And Conti’s implication here isn’t just that he wants to prevent same-sex marriage, but that his preference would be to make homosexuality itself “illegal.”

Combined with Pope Benedict’s multiple malignant statements in December, the Catholic Church’s hierarchy has established itself as the archenemy of loving same-sex families in 2013. These religious leaders provide no argument against marriage equality except their own moral judgment, but then expect the governments of the world to cater to their whims when even their own followers largely do not agree. They imagine a universe where there is no such thing as gay people or same-sex marriage, but with each passing day that false reality becomes more delusional.

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Rush Limbaugh: Marriage Equality Is Helping To ‘Normalize Pedophilia’

Blowhard Rush Limbaugh dedicated a lengthy diatribe on his radio show yesterday to the idea that there is a movement underway to try to “normalize pedophilia” by classifying it as a sexual orientation like heterosexuality and homosexuality. Limbaugh based his claims on an article in The Guardian that addresses questions science still has about the nature of pedophilia, but then he drew his own conclusions that normalizing same-sex marriage is similarly going to lead to normalizing the sexual abuse of children:

LIMBAUGH: There is a movement on to normalize pedophilia, and I guarantee you your reaction to that is probably much the same as your reaction when you first heard about gay marriage. What has happened to gay marriage? It’s become normal — and in fact, with certain people in certain demographics it’s the most important issue in terms of who they vote for. So don’t pooh-pooh. There’s a movement to normalize pedophilia. Don’t pooh-pooh it. The people behind it are serious, and you know the left as well as I do. They glom onto something and they don’t let go. [...]

What is their objective? They want us to all think that pedophilia is just another sexual orientation.  You know who’s gonna fall right in line is college kids, just like they have on gay marriage, just like they do on all other revolutionary social issues.  Their own definition of the cutting edge, civil rights, freedom, understanding, tolerance. So I’m just warning you here. You think it can’t happen. “Impossible!  Don’t be nutso and wacko on us, Rush.”

Listen to it:

But pedophilia is not considered a sexual orientation. It’s considered a psychiatric disorder and a paraphilia. The issue with pedophilia is that the target of the sexual impulse is children, who can be physically and emotionally scarred by such contact. Pedophilia, like other paraphilias, violates the consent of another entity, whereas sexual orientations do not. In fact, the moral condemnation of same-sex orientations is a judgment of who has the attractions, not who the attractions target. For example, a sexual orientation toward men can present in women or in men, but conservatives have only ever objected to men having that orientation. That judgment is based on religious dogma, not any intention to reduce harm to others.

Limbaugh’s tirade is dangerous and unnecessarily conflates homosexuality with pedophilia, as opponents of LGBT equality have done for decades. There is no way to compare two loving consenting adults to harming a child. If there were a valid reason to be concerned that society was no longer interested in protecting young people from sexual abuse, Limbaugh would have a compelling argument to make and many would surely rally around his cause. Instead, his words serve only to further demonize the LGBT community with archaic myths.

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NOAA: 2012 Was Officially The Warmest Year On Record For The U.S., Second Most Extreme

Last year was officially the hottest ever recorded for the lower-48 states. Scientists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric tallied weather and temperature data for 2012, and found that the year was both the warmest and the second-most extreme for weather ever recorded for the contiguous U.S.

According to NOAA’s latest “State of the Climate” report, the average temperature for the lower-48 states was 55.3°, which is 3.2°F above the 20th century average, and 1.0°F above the previous record-year of 1998.

Last year was marked by an historic drought, above-average wildfires, multiple freak storms that wiped out power to millions, and multiple severe heat waves. According to the U.S. Climate Extremes Index, 2012 was the second most extreme year on record — coming in below 1998, the previous hottest year on record.

Precipitation was also down significantly in 2012. Average rainfall for the lower-48 states was 2.57 inches below average, contributing to the severe drought that gripped the nation and helping make the wildfire season the third most destructive on record.

To see how these and other billion-dollar extreme weather events impacted Americans, check out the Center for American Progress report, “Heavy Weather: How Climate Destruction Harms Middle- and Lower-Income Americans.”

Here’s how NOAA breaks down last year’s temperature records:

U.S. temperature

Every state in the contiguous U.S. had an above-average annual temperature for 2012. Nineteen states had a record warm year and an additional 26 states had one of their 10 warmest.On the national scale, 2012 started off much warmer than average with the fourth warmest winter (December 2011-February 2012) on record. Winter warmth limited snow with many locations experiencing near-record low snowfall totals. The winter snow cover for the contiguous U.S. was the third smallest on record and snowpack totals across the Central and Southern Rockies were less than half of normal.Spring started off exceptionally warm with the warmest March on record, followed by the fourth warmest April and second warmest May. The season’s temperature was 5.2°F above average, making it easily the warmest spring on record, surpassing the previous record by 2.0°F. The warm spring resulted in an early start to the 2012 growing season in many places, which increased the loss of water from the soil earlier than what is typical. In combination with the lack of winter snow and residual dryness from 2011, the record warm spring laid the foundation for the widespread drought conditions in large areas of the U.S. during 2012.The above-average temperatures of spring continued into summer. The national-scale heat peaked in July with an average temperature of 76.9°F, 3.6°F above average, making it the hottest month ever observed for the contiguous United States. The eighth warmest June, record hottest July, and a warmer-than-average August resulted in a summer average temperature of 73.8°F, the second hottest summer on record by only hundredths of a degree. An estimated 99.1 million people experienced 10 or more days of summer temperatures greater than 100°F, nearly one-third of the nation’s population.Autumn and December temperatures were warmer than average, but not of the same magnitude as the three previous seasons. Autumn warmth in the western U.S. offset cooler temperatures in the eastern half of the country. Although the last four months of 2012 did not bring the same unusual warmth as the first 8 months of the year, the September through December temperatures were warm enough for 2012 to remain the record warmest year by a wide margin.

U.S. precipitation

The nationally-averaged precipitation total of 26.57 inches was 2.57 inches below average and the 15th driest year on record for the lower 48. This was also the driest year for the nation since 1988 when 25.25 inches of precipitation was observed.The driest conditions during 2012 occurred across the central United States. Two states, Nebraska and Wyoming, had their driest years on record. Eight additional states had annual precipitation totals ranking among the bottom ten. Drier-than-average conditions stretched from the Intermountain West, through the Great Plains and Midwest, and into the Southeast. Wetter-than-average conditions occurred in the Pacific Northwest, where Washington had its fifth wettest year on record, as well as parts of the Gulf Coast and Northeast.Each season of 2012 had precipitation totals below the 20th century average:

You can read the full report here. Climate Central has a killer interactive detailing the temperature data for each state here. And Peter Sinclair’s latest video, “2012: The Year Climate Change Got Real,” is basically the video version of this report.

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Presidential Memorandum -- National Flood Insurance Program

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For Immediate Release January 07, 2013 Presidential Memorandum -- National Flood Insurance Program

MEMORANDUM FOR THE SECRETARY OF HOMELAND SECURITY

SUBJECT: National Flood Insurance Program

I have reviewed your request for approval to issue notes to the Secretary of the Treasury in excess of $20.725 billion, but not to exceed $30.425 billion, for the National Flood Insurance Program and am hereby granting approval for you to do so.

BARACK OBAMA

Blog posts on this issue January 08, 2013 1:52 PM ESTHappy Birthday, Stephen Hawking

On Professor Hawking’s 71st birthday, we’d like to share a never-before-seen video from his visit to the White House.

January 07, 2013 4:25 PM ESTPresident Obama Nominates John Brennan as CIA Director

President Obama announces John Brennan as his nominee for the next head of the Central Intelligence Agency.

January 07, 2013 4:19 PM ESTPresident Obama Wants Chuck Hagel to Run the Pentagon

The President asks Sen. Chuck Hagel to serve as Secretary of Defense.

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Abandoning 'Hastert Rule' to get immigration reform

What can we learn from the fiscal cliff deal? That Congress could actually enact comprehensive immigration reform.

Let’s face it, the Congress passed the fiscal cliff deal because its members had a sudden epiphany. The compromise — hammered out by the Senate early New Year’s morning as the country teetered over the cliff — was approved by the House of Representatives because the Republican leadership, fearing the wrath of the American people if the nation went cliff-diving, had little choice. And it wasn’t even the whole Congress or even the whole Republican conference that made the deal happen. It was a bipartisan group, with Speaker John Boehner pushing forward. To get there Boehner violated the “Hastert rule” — the majority of the majority rules — and actually got something done on a bipartisan basis.

It can happen again with immigration reform — one of the major items on President Obama’s second term “to do” list.

Like the fiscal cliff, immigration reform poses daunting political challenges. No issue raises passions and prejudices more. That’s because immigration is visceral:  it is about our national soul; our essence as individuals, as a people, as a culture, and as a nation. Immigration is about where we have been and where we are going. It is about what kind of a country we want to be. Do we want to be a welcoming nation that opens its arms to people from all over the world, and from all walks of life? Or do we want to isolate ourselves, turn our backs on those in need, and restrict out of ignorance and xenophobia critical opportunities for engineers, entrepreneurs, innovators, researchers and scientists like Einstein, who was, by the way, a refugee?

We all want to keep our borders safe. But continued border security depends on an immigration policy that works — a policy that is safe, orderly, and fair — and that promotes rather than destroys families and businesses, and enables America to compete in a global economy.

In 1989, in his final address to the nation, President Ronald Reagan described his vision of America as a shining city. He said:

“[I]n my mind it was a tall, proud city built on rocks stronger than oceans, wind-swept, God-blessed, and teeming with people of all kinds living in harmony and peace; a city with free ports that hummed with commerce and creativity. And (if there had to be city walls, the walls had doors and the doors were open to anyone with the will and the heart to get here).”

Reagan understood that America’s strength is its openness: its celebration of creativity and new ideas. We can only hope that those who claim his legacy heed his lesson. We are a welcoming nation, and it’s our job to put a human face on all of the immigrants who grace our shores, no matter how they got here. 

As the national conversation now turns to immigration policy we must remember the simple truth that immigration is good for America. It is good for America to reunite families and bring in the best and the brightest to our universities, research institutions and industries; it is good for America to create a system for skilled and unskilled workers that promotes our economy and enables employers to grow their businesses; it is good for America to legalize 12 million undocumented workers whose full participation in the U.S. workforce will increase the wages and working conditions of all Americans by adding as much as $1.5 trillion to the gross domestic product over the next ten years, by adding $5 billion in consumer spending and by creating nearly a million jobs; and it is good for America to live up to its commitment to due process and the rule of law.

The American people instinctively understand this. A recent CNN poll found that 65% of registered Republicans, Democrats and Independents support overhauling our dysfunctional immigration system — including giving the millions of undocumented immigrants a chance to earn their way to a green card and, eventually, U.S. citizenship. And, as a matter of basic politics, neither party can afford to ignore the growing influence of Latino voters who overwhelmingly support an immigration overhaul.

The 113th Congress has a unique opportunity. Its members can put politics aside for the good of the nation, get to work for the American people, and hammer out a safe, functional, and compassionate immigration system. Done right, immigration reform will create jobs for U.S. workers, keep American families safe and together and give American businesses the tools they need to remain competitive in a global economy.

Let’s hope they seize this historic moment.

Leopold is general counsel at American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA).
 

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Biden, NRA to meet on guns

Vice President Biden will meet this week with the National Rifle Association and a variety of other groups as his task force on guns intensifies its efforts. 

Biden will meet Wednesday with gun-safety organizations and shooting victims groups and on Thursday will meet with gun ownership organizations and sportsmen who use guns recreationally, according to the White House. 

NRA spokesman Andrew Arulanandam said the organization accepted an invitation received from the White House late Friday. 

"We are sending a rep to hear what they have to say," Arulanandam said.

Biden will also meet with members of the video game and entertainment industry, which have come under scrutiny in the debate over gun violence. 

Biden is leading a task force charged with making recommendations to President Obama to prevent shooting massacres, and it increasingly looks like the task force is taking a broad look at how to limit gun violence. 

More from The Hill:
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The task force was assembled in response to the shooting massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., which resulted in 27 dead, including 20 children. Obama has described the day as the worst of his presidency, and has said he will look to take quick action on the Biden group's recommendations. 

The Washington Post recently reported that the White House is weighing a broad approach on gun control that would go beyond bans on assault weapons and high-capacity clips that have garnered attention in the past. The Post said the Biden group was considering universal background checks for gun buyers and a national database to track the movement and sale of weapons. 

Members of Congress have suggested a willingness to look at the issue of gun violence, but any significant changes to gun laws would be expected to encounter resistance from Republicans and many Democrats. 

The NRA opposes new restrictions on gun ownership, and has proposed that one way to deal with the issue of gun violence is to put armed guards in schools. 

White House press secretary Jay Carney at his Tuesday press briefing said the vice president was overseeing a process engaged with a variety of stakeholders to look at gun violence. 

"They include gun owners and groups that represent gun owners," he said.

Asked specifically what the vice president hoped to hear from the NRA, Carney stressed that the White House "doesn't want to prejudge any recommendations that any stakeholders would present." 

Carney said that the meeting was "designed to get input" from stakeholders — a sign that the administration is hoping the gun group will present its own recommendations on preventing gun violence.

In addition to his meetings, Biden will hold conference calls with elected officials from across the country as part of his effort, the White House said. 

Separately, Cabinet officials will hold meetings with organizations to discuss gun-violence prevention. 

Education Secretary Arne Duncan will meet with education groups, parents and teachers. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius will meet with mental health advocates. Other senior White House staff members will meet with medical groups, community organizations and advocates for children and families to discuss gun violence, the White House said. 

"Soon after" the meetings, according to the White House, Biden will pass his task force's recommendations to Obama, who will then release a set of proposals for reducing gun violence and urge movement to enact those proposals. 

—This story was posted at 11:58 a.m. and last updated at 1:20 p.m.

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