December 17, 2019

Reschenthaler Votes to Fund National Security Programs, Eliminate Obamacare Taxes

WASHINGTON, D.C. Today, Congressman Guy Reschenthaler (PA-14) voted for two measures - H.R. 1158 and H.R. 1865 – to fund the federal government for the remainder of Fiscal Year 2020. Federal government funding is currently set to expire at midnight on Friday. Both measures passed the House by strong, bipartisan votes and now head to the Senate for consideration.

 

"While this was not a perfect deal, I supported today's funding measures because they ensure the safety and security of our nation and eliminate burdensome Obamacare taxes on middle-class families and American businesses," said Reschenthaler. "I am grateful to Ranking Member Kay Granger and my Republican colleagues on the Appropriations Committee for their work to maintain pro-life and Second Amendment protections and remove Democrat provisions that would have hindered domestic energy production and undercut border security efforts. I look forward to working on future funding measures that address the needs of southwestern Pennsylvania. "

 

Specifically, H.R. 1158 funds programs administered by the Departments of Defense, Commerce, Justice, Homeland Security, and the Treasury. The bill provides $1.375 billion in new border wall funding and protects the president's ability to use other funding for immigration and border enforcement activities. It also includes a 3.1% pay raise for our troops and provides a $22 billion increase in defense funding to rebuild our military after years of neglect by the Obama Administration.

 

Similarly, H.R. 1865 funds programs administrated by the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, Agriculture, Interior, Veterans Affairs, State, Transportation, and Housing. It increases funding for rural broadband programs by $642 million and provides $5.7 billion for substance use disorder prevention, treatment, and research to address our nation's opioid epidemic. Further, H.R. 1865 repeals three harmful Obamacare taxes – the Cadillac Tax, Health Insurance Tax, and Medical Device Tax. The measures also includes a number of tax extenders and other provisions supported by Reschenthaler including:

  • A provision to extend the medical expense deduction, which allows individuals to write off health care costs above 7.5% of their yearly income.
  • A seven-year reauthorization of the Export-Import Bank.
  • An extension of the National Flood Insurance Program through the remainder of the fiscal year.
  • The SECURE Act which will help improve retirement security for all Americans.

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