Coats, Donnelly back medical-device tax repeal

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Sens. Dan Coats, R-Ind., and Joe Donnelly, D-Ind., are co-sponsors of a Senate bill, announced Thursday, that would repeal the 2.3.percent excise tax on medical devices.

The tax “will jeopardize jobs, increase costs on consumers and impede innovation,” Coats said in a statement.

They are among a bipartisan group of nine sponsors and co-sponsors of the repeal bill. The backers include both senators from each of three states -- Indiana, Minnesota and Pennsylvania -- that have large numbers of medical device industry jobs.

Tax-repeal legislation was introduced this week in the House and has attracted 180 co-sponsors, including Rep. Marlin Stutzman, R-3rd.

The medical device tax, which took effect in January, is expected to raise about $30 billion during a 10-year period to help fund the federal health care law.