THE WORKING UNINSURED TAX EQUITY ACT -- HON. JAMES E. ROGAN (Extensions
of Remarks - May 14, 1999)
[Page: E979]
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HON. JAMES E. ROGAN
OF CALIFORNIA
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
FRIDAY, MAY 14, 1999
- Mr. ROGAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of important legislation my
colleague Congressman JIM MCDERMOTT and I introduced today, the Working
Uninsured Tax Equity Act. Many of the estimated 43 million Americans without
health insurance are employed. The current Tax Code, however, discriminates
against those workers if they choose to buy health insurance on their
own.
- Currently, employees with employer-sponsored health benefits enjoy those
benefits tax free. This simple, straightforward proposal seeks to equalize the
tax treatment between workers whose employer covers the cost of health care
insurance premiums and those workers who must pay for their health insurance
entirely from their own paychecks. The Tax Code should not punish these
employees because their employer does not offer health benefits.
- Our bill provides those workers paying for the entire cost of their health
insurance a 30-percent partially refundable income tax credit to help defray
the cost of those insurance premiums. The 30 -percent credit approximately
equals the tax benefit enjoyed by workers with employer-provided tax benefits.
The credit would be available to individuals with incomes to $30,000 and
married couples, filing jointly with incomes to $50,000.
- Our bill will not solve the crisis associated with the number of Americans
who do not have health insurance. It does, however, provide a starting point
for liberals and conservatives, state governments, insurance companies, and
others to begin addressing health policy issues relating to uninsured
Americans.
- I encourage our colleagues from both sides of the aisle to join us in
supporting the Working Uninsured Tax Equity Act.
END