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WASHINGTON – Today the House passed H.R. 184, the Protect Medical Innovation Act by a bipartisan vote of 283 - 132.  This legislation permanently repeals the 2.3 percent excise tax on the value of medical devices sold domestically.  According to the Tax Foundation, the medical device tax cost approximately 21,800 jobs from 2013 to 2015.  Although the tax was suspended in calendar years 2016-17 and 2018-19, it was scheduled to take effect again December 31, 2019.

Foxx stated, “Many medical device manufacturers in North Carolina’s fifth district have reported how the medical device excise tax hinders medical innovation, costs jobs, decreases research and development, and slows capital expansion.  A fundamentally flawed policy, the medical device excise tax was intended to pay for Obamacare’s massive costs to taxpayers.  Instead, it burdens those taxpayers and innovators who are the back bone of our economy and forces them to pass off higher prices to consumers.  As an original cosponsor of this legislation, I’m pleased to restore stability to the medical device industry so that it can envision future investments in our state and serve patients with greater clarity going forward.”

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U.S. Rep. Virginia Foxx represents North Carolina’s 5th Congressional District and is the chairwoman of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.