NFIB'S RESPONSE TO TODAY'S VOTE ON THE HEALTH CARE BILL: H.481
“NFIB/VT was pleased the House Health Care Committee voted
to repeal the Employer Assessment which raises $18 million and has become
nothing more than an unnecessary penalty on small business. However, we are
naturally disappointed that the House Ways & Means Committee didn’t carry
through.
“H.481 raises $18 million in additional tax revenues, with a
myriad of splinter taxes, on top of the $35 million that has already been
passed by the House of Representatives, as well as to leave in place the
Employer Assessment. State Auditor Doug Hoffer will provide the results
of the performance audit of the disastrous rollout of Vermont Health Connect
(VHC) any day now. The reconciliation of this roll-out weakness could amount to
millions of dollars more than currently budgeted.
“National Federation of Independent Business/Vermont
(NFIB/VT) has consistently urged the legislature to be mindful of the financial
consequences being placed on small businesses. We believe that lawmakers must
bring spending in line with the growth of our economy. Vermont cannot
sustain 5 percent growth in spending year-after-year when our economy is
growing at less than 3 percent.”