Senate Democrats tax prosthetic limbs, other vital medical devices, refuse to exempt veterans

As the nation prepares to celebrate Independence Day with parades and barbecues, America's veterans face a new tax on prosthetic limbs and other vital medical devices.

The health care overhaul passed by Congress and signed into law by President Obama earlier this year contains a new tax on medical devices such as prosthetic limbs, pacemakers, and wheelchairs.  This tax, which its proponents claim will raise $20 billion over the next ten years, contains no exemption for the nation's 22 million veterans.  In fact, Senate Democrats specifically refused to exempt veterans from the tax.

On March 24 2010, Senate Democrats rejected an amendment offered by Senator Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) to the healthcare bill.  This amendment (SA 3644) would have prevented the medical device tax from hitting veterans covered by the Veterans Healthcare Program or TRICARE for Life.  This amendment was rejected by a vote of 44-54.    All but five Democrat senators voted in favor of retaining the tax for veterans.

The medical device tax was one of over twenty new or higher taxes in President Barack Obama's healthcare overhaul.  This permanent new tax is being collected now.

"On March 24, Senate Democrats had the opportunity to exempt our veterans from Obamacare's new tax on medical devices such as prosthetic limbs.  But 54 Democrats voted against the measure.  They chose to side with the tax-and-spend crowd in Washington over our wounded warriors," said Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform.  "This is one of the many reasons Harry Reid and the Democrats did not want Americans to read the 2,500 page health care bill before it was passed."

In addition to those who served in Afghanistan and Iraq, the Department of Veterans Affairs reports the following number of veterans from America's wars:

The following senators voted for the tax:

Daniel Akaka (D-HI)

Max Baucus (D-MT)

Evan Bayh (D-IN)

Mark Begich (D-AK)

Michael Bennet (D-CO)

Jeff Bingaman (D-NM)

Barbara Boxer (D-CA)

Sherrod Brown (D-OH)

Roland Burris (D-IL)

Maria Cantwell (D-WA)

Ben Cardin (D-MD)

Tom Carper (D-DE)

Bob Casey (D-PA)

Kent Conrad (D-ND)

Chris Dodd (D-CT)

Byron Dorgan (D-ND)

Richard Durbin (D-IL)

Russ Feingold (D-WI)

Diane Feinstein (D-CA)

Al Franken (D-MN)

Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY)

Tom Harkin (D-IA)

Daniel Inouye (D-HI)

Tim Johnson (D-SD)

Edward Kaufman (D-DE)

John Kerry (D-MA)

Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)

Herb Kohl (D-WI)

Mary Landrieu (D-LA)

Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ)

Pat Leahy (D-VT)

Carl Levin (D-MI)

Joe Lieberman (ID-CT)

Blanche Lincoln (D-AR)

Claire McCaskill (D-MO)

Bob Menendez (D-NJ)

Jeff Merkley (D-OR)

Barbara Mikulski (D-MD)

Patty Murray (D-WA)

Ben Nelson (D-FL)

Mark Pryor (D-AR)

Jack Reed (D-RI)

Harry Reid (D-NV)

Jay Rockefeller (D-WV)

Bernie Sanders (I-VT)

Chuck Schumer (D-NY)

Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH)

Arlen Specter (D-PA)

Debbie Stabenow (D-MI)

Mark Udall (D-CO)

Tom Udall (D-NM)

Mark Warner (D-VA)

Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI)

Ron Wyden (D-OR)