FEDERAL ISSUES Health Insurance Tax That Will Increase Health Care Cost, Decrease Jobs, and Reduce Health Care ChoicesThe Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), also known as Obamacare, was signed into law by President Barack Obama on March 23, 2012. Combined with the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act, it is said to be the most significant regulatory overhaul of the U.S. healthcare system since the passage of Medicare and Medicaid. Among other things, PPACA imposes an annual multi-billion dollar Health Insurance Tax that will negatively impact the entire health care system. Employers and Consumers will begin to see the impact of this $87 Billion tax in health care policies issued in 2013. This tax will have far-reaching effects that extend to employers, seniors, States, consumers and the overall economy, and will exacerbate existing cost challenges in the health care marketplace and significantly distort existing market dynamics. Click here to download more information about the health insurance tax. It’s Time to Get Serious About National Debt Reduction Are you concerned about the national deficit? Please take a moment to look at the information below and take action today. Send a letter to your U.S. Lawmakers urging them to reduce the national deficit. Click on the letter entitled "National Debt Reduction" by going to the "Take Action" portion of this webpage. Our national debt is approaching $15 trillion dollars and federal deficits are projected at or above one trillion dollars a year for the foreseeable future. Despite the emerging bipartisan consensus among policy makers that we cannot sustain the current path, they are struggling to find common ground on a plan to reduce the federal deficit. Without some change in these dynamics, their deliberations may not reflect the seriousness and urgency of the need to effectively act. American business has an opportunity to help convey the need for immediate action and ultimately shape the outcome by:
1. Educating your employees on the seriousness of this issue; and,
2. Asking them to write Congress and say that the time for action is now.
Canada has always been an important supplier of resources to the United States. In fact, Canada provides more oil to the U.S. than all Persian Gulf countries combined. A new pipeline project would provide an opportunity to access even more oil from Canada and improve our energy security. After months of policy arguments and political maneuvering, the Obama Administration agreed to most elements of the pipeline project. Still to be determined are small portions of the route in order to protect environmentally sensitive area. Meanwhile, much work on the multi-year construction project can be seen creating tens of thousands of jobs immediately. Approval of the Keystone XL Pipeline would trigger a $7 billion business investment that could deliver more than 800,000 barrels per day of North American oil to U.S. Gulf Coast refineries. Moreover, the Keystone XL Pipeline would deliver enough oil to displaceone-third of the oil currently imported from the Middle East. Ultimately the project will create an estimated 85,000 jobs and add $150 billion to the nation’s economy by 2035. The Keystone XL Pipeline extension is an environmentally responsible infrastructure project. According to a recent Gallup poll, 57 percent of American adults said, “…the U.S. government should approve the building of this pipeline.” Legislation in Congress – part of the Surface Transportation Extension Act of 2012, Part II – would create an expedited process to approve the Keystone XL Pipeline project. Click here to contact your US Senators and US Representative and support the Keystone XL Pipeline!
Impact of EPA's Proposed Air Quality Standards for Ozone
The Clean Air Act requires EPA to review national air quality standards every five years and issue revised standards, if necessary, without regard to cost or the availability of effective emissions control technology. EPA proactively proposed new, more stringent ozone standards two years earlier than required by law that would, if put into effect, cost industry and local businesses as much as $52-$90 billion per year by 2020. Under EPA's most stringent proposal, 85 percent of U.S. counties monitored by EPA would likely be designated as "non-attainment" areas, subjecting those counties to more regulation, making it difficult to establish new industrial facilities or expand existing plants. The map below illustrates how the proposed new standards will affect states and counties across America. -Click here to view the Business Roundtables "Fact Sheet" on Ozone Air Quality Standards -Click here to view an interactive map that breaksdown the regulation by state and county. You will also find an advocacy letter that will be sent to your elected member of congress telling them to maintain current ozone standards to protect jobs and economic growth in your region of the country.
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