[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 155 (Thursday, October 22, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1509]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          HEALTH INSURANCE TAX

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                          HON. ROBERT J. DOLD

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, October 22, 2015

  Mr. DOLD. Mr. Speaker, I recently sat down with several small 
business owners in my district for a roundtable discussion in 
Lincolnshire, Illinois. The roundtable discussion focused attention on 
the Health Insurance Tax on small businesses. These local business 
owners are extremely concerned about the consequences of a $500 per 
employee per year insurance expense they will have to incur.
  One business owner at the roundtable, Rick, reiterated that 
politicians in Washington need to understand that each new tax or 
expense isn't just some exercise in congressional budget scorekeeping--
these are a real-world burdens that harm businesses and make it 
difficult to keep the doors open and workers employed. This business 
owner wasn't talking about it as an abstract economic theory; rather, 
he was worried that his business cannot handle the influx of new 
expenses. Rick asked me to make sure that leaders in Washington are 
fighting for Main Streets across the nation. Rick is right. As a small 
business owner myself, I believe that we need to continue to remind 
Members of Congress that small businesses are the lifeblood of our 
economy and that we need to encourage a healthy environment that 
promotes innovation and entrepreneurship.
  According to research by the National Federation of Independent 
Business Research Foundation, the Health Insurance Tax, also known as 
the HIT, will jeopardize between 152,000 and 286,000 private-sector 
jobs across the U.S. by 2023.
  The harmful and misguided Health Insurance Tax will add a new strain 
to small businesses on Main Street. Illinois is home to more than 1.1 
million small businesses, which employ more than 2.3 million workers. 
That is why I am a cosponsor of H.R. 928 and why I encourage my 
colleagues in the House on both sides of the aisle to do the same.

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