Rep. Messer Brings Congress to 6th District

GREENFIELD, Ind., Sept. 4 -- Rep. Luke Messer, R-Ind. (6th CD), issued the following news release:

Today, Members of Congress, school leaders and business owners came together in Greenfield, Indiana, to discuss the effects of the President's health care law on schools and businesses.

The House Committee on Education and the Workforce Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor and Pensions, on which Congressman Luke Messer serves, convened the hearing in an effort to learn directly from Hoosiers impacted by the Affordable Care Act.

"It's been a privilege to bring my colleagues to the 6th District, and give them the opportunity to learn from school leaders and business owners who are here on the front lines dealing with the real-world consequences of this law," said Congressman Messer. "It's a shame the federal government is taxing schools and small businesses to pay for the ACA. It's just not right. And, we heard today just what a detrimental impact this flawed law is having around the state."

Subcommittee Chairman Phil Roe (R-TN), who is a retired physician, had this to say about the Affordable Care Act: "Our children and working families deserve better. It is clear we need to set aside the President's health care law and start over with real reform that will lower costs and expand access."

The hearing consisted of two panels--one focused on school districts, the other on small businesses--with four witnesses on each panel. Several testified about the negative impacts the President's health care law is having on their respective workplaces.

"Like many community colleges, our funding is very limited," said Tom Snyder, President of Ivy Tech Community College. "It does not allow us to absorb large, unfunded mandates such as any employee who reaches 30 hours being offered health insurance. We would have to pass along such increases on the backs of students by increasing tuition."

After the education panel concluded, four members of Indiana's small business community also had the opportunity to testify.

"The Affordable Care Act seems to be a government mandate to treat your employees well, just not too well," said Nate LaMar, International Regional Manager of Draper, Inc of Spiceland. His sentiments were echoed by Mark DeFabis, President of Integrated Distribution Services of Plainfield. "The ACA's arbitrary establishment of a 30 hour work week as full time does not reflect the real world and is ultimately harmful to all small businesses and the workers for whom we provide jobs."

Congressman Messer has introduced two bills in the House to reduce the negative impacts of the President's health care law on schools and businesses.

The SCHOOL Act (H.R. 4775) exempts schools from having to comply with the ACA's employer mandate. The Small Business Job Protection Act (H.R. 2577) changes the definition of large employer from 50 employees as stated in the Affordable Care Act to 100 employees which would effectively exempt most small businesses from this costly mandate.

"There are very strong feelings about the President's health care law on both sides of the aisle," said Congressman Messer. "I would hope that most could agree, however, that our nation's school children and hourly workers shouldn't be forced to pay the price of that law."

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