Skip to Content

Committee Statements

Messer Statement: Hearing on “The Effects of the President’s Health Care Law on Indiana’s Classrooms and Workplaces”

Congress needs to hear directly from those who have been forced to make difficult decisions as a result of the law’s employer mandate, which requires employers to provide expensive government-approved health insurance or face steep fines if they don’t.    

Put simply, the Federal government should not be taxing schools and small businesses to pay for the President’s health care law. It just isn’t right. And, if we really care about our economy and our nation’s future we will do something about it. 

Dave Adams, the Superintendent of Shelbyville Central Schools, first brought this issue to my attention early last year when he said the employer mandate will cost his schools $794,000 each year. Bob Yoder, Assistant Superintendent of Southern Hancock School Corporation, estimated its price tag at $450,000 per year. Their stories are not unique, unfortunately.  

That’s why I have introduced legislation to exempt schools from this onerous provision. We can’t fund the President’s health care law at the expense of education. 

Small businesses are being harmed, too. Businesses statewide have been forced to reduce worker hours and scale-back their workforce to balance new budget constraints imposed by the law. That’s why I have introduced legislation that will exempt most small business from this tax, too.  

Nate LaMar, the International Regional Manager of Draper, Incorporated in Spiceland, rightly notes that the law’s fees and taxes don’t stop with the employer mandate. There are very strong feelings about the President’s health care law on both sides of the aisle.  I respect the views of those who believe deeply that it is the best way to address the challenges in our health care system.  

I would hope that most could agree, however, that our nation’s school children and hourly workers should not be forced to pay the price of that law.

# # #
Stay Connected