Washington, D.C.–Senator Cory Gardner (R-CO) introduced the Healthcare Tax Relief Act on Tuesday. This legislation delays the “Health Insurance Tax” created by the Affordable Care Act for one year. The tax is a fee to health insurers on their health policy premiums. Joining Senator Gardner as original cosponsors of the legislation are Senators Inhofe (R-OK), Cotton (R-AR), Johnson (R-WI), Portman (R-OH), Flake (R-AZ), Blunt (R-MO), Barrasso (R-WY), Cruz (R-TX), Heller (R-NV), and Scott (R-SC).

“We need to look at every avenue we can to provide relief to the American people from the high costs created by the Affordable Care Act,” said Gardner. “My legislation delays a tax that once implemented would lead to even higher costs of care for Coloradans.”

According to policy think tank American Action Forum, if implemented, the Health Insurance Tax would increase premiums as much as $5,000 over a decade. It would also directly impact approximately 11 million households that purchase insurance through the individual market and another 23 million households that have insurance through their employer.

“President Obama promised that this law would drive down costs, and this tax is just another example of how that’s not even close to being reality,”continued Gardner.

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Cory Gardner is a member of the U.S. Senate serving Colorado. He sits on the Energy & Natural Resources Committee, the Foreign Relations Committee, the Commerce, Science, & Transportation Committee, and the Budget Committee, and is the Chairman of the Subcommittee on East Asia, the Pacific, and International Cybersecurity Policy and Subcommittee on Energy.

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