House Republicans passed a tax increase on small businesses today that was hidden in a bill that banned federal funding for abortion.
The vote was 242-179 with three Democrats voting for the bill, and one Republican voting against it.
As the Huffington Post reported, the legislation goes beyond attacking women’s rights, and increases taxes on small businesses, “The bill would do a number of things — including block federal funds for abortion for women who are in the military, who live in Washington, D.C., and who are poor — but one aspect of the legislation that hasn’t received much attention is the fact that it would raise taxes on the vast majority of small businesses. Under the SHOP exchange, a part of the Affordable Care Act, small businesses receive a tax credit if they include abortion care in their plans. Roughly 87 percent of private plans include abortion services as part of comprehensive coverage, meaning the bulk of small businesses would be hit with a tax hike if the bill, called the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act, were to become law.”
To get more stories like this, subscribe to our newsletter The Daily.
To summarize, John Boehner had to yank a bill that would ban all abortions after 20 weeks because Republicans who are worried about being swallowed by the potential 2016 Hillary Clinton wave refused to support it. House Republican leadership replace the overt abortion ban bill with a more covert attack. Rep. Gwen Moore (D-WI) said on the House floor, “This is really a backdoor approach. You’re really trying to undermine the law of the land, Roe v. Wade.”
House Republicans tried to sell this bill as blocking federal funding for abortion, but it was really a show vote on the anniversary of Roe v. Wade. The bill is dead in the Senate, and the president has already promised to veto it.
The degree of Republican self-destruction on this bill was epic. House Republicans have managed to both anger the anti-choice people in their party while secretly raising taxes on small businesses. John Boehner’s House may have a bigger majority, but they remain utterly incapable of governing.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
