Turner, Golden Press Congressional Negotiators To Make Health Coverage Tax Credit Permanent

WASHINGTON, Dec. 8 -- Rep. Michael Turner, R-Ohio, issued the following news release and letter:

Congressmen Mike Turner (OH-10) and Jared Golden (ME-02) sent a bipartisan letter this week to urge congressional leadership to include a reauthorization of the Health Coverage Tax Credit (HCTC) in any end of year legislation.

"We represent working people who have been left without affordable health insurance since Congress allowed the program to expire at the beginning of the year," the lawmakers wrote. "The HCTC provides refundable tax credits to retirees whose pensions have been taken over by the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC)."

The HCTC provides refundable tax credits to cover more than 70 percent of the cost of health insurance premiums for two kinds of workers: those who have been certified to have lost their jobs due to outsourcing, and eligible retirees whose pensions have been taken over by the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation.

"Since its inception in 2002, this program has been reauthorized seven times - providing much-needed benefits to workers in such positions," the lawmakers continued. "These people worked hard their whole lives and don't deserve the uncertainty and stress of relying on a program that could expire every year or two. That's why we must ensure that a permanent reauthorization is included in any end-of-year tax extenders legislation."

Background:

Making the Health Coverage Tax Credit (HCTC) program permanent would give the over 5,000 Delphi Salaried Retirees in Dayton peace of mind, eliminating the worry of losing their well-deserved healthcare every one to two years.

Turner has been a consistent advocate for long term reauthorization of the HCTC, re-introducing The Health Coverage Tax Credit Reauthorization Act in 2021 after championing its reauthorization in 2019. This program has been reauthorized seven times since its inception in 2002, benefitting thousands of American workers and their families.

In addition to advocating for Delphi Salaried Retirees' health care, Turner is working tirelessly to restore the pensions that were unjustly revoked in 2009. In July, the House approved the Susan Muffley Act in a bipartisan 254 to 175 vote. Turner is now working with colleagues in a bipartisan, bicameral effort to have Congress send the legislation to President Biden who has said he will sign it into law, ending a 13 year struggle for Delphi Salaried Retirees. Read more on his work with the Susan Muffley Act here (https://turner.house.gov/press-releases?ID=4FCA22CE-8C44-4A14-8015-7BCCBCA3B736).

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December 5, 2022

To: The Honorable Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House, U.S. House of Representatives, H-305, The Capitol, Washington, DC 20515

The Honorable Kevin McCarthy, Minority Leader, U.S. House of Representatives, H-204, The Capitol, Washington, DC 20515

Dear Speaker Pelosi and Minority Leader McCarthy,

As the House considers tax extenders legislation in the final months of 2022, we write to stress the importance of the inclusion of a long-term reauthorization or permanent extension of the Health Coverage Tax Credit (HCTC), which expired on December 31, 2021.

We represent working people who have been left without affordable health insurance since Congress allowed the program to expire at the beginning of the year. The HCTC provides refundable tax credits to retirees whose pensions have been taken over by the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) as a result of their previous employer's financial instability. It also assists workers who have lost their jobs due to outsourcing, as well as their families. Especially in a time of record inflation and economic uncertainty, these constituents deserve access to affordable health care through this credit.

Since its inception in 2002, this program has been reauthorized seven times - providing much- needed benefits to workers in such positions. These people worked hard their whole lives and don't deserve the uncertainty and stress of relying on a program that could expire every year or two. That's why we must ensure that a permanent reauthorization is included in any end-of-year tax extenders legislation.

This is the subject of bipartisan legislation - H.R. 6339, the Health Coverage Tax Credit Reauthorization Act of 2021 - which would authorize the program through 2025. A provision to permanently extend the HCTC was also included in the House-passed version of the America COMPETES Act but was stripped during conference negotiations with the Senate.

It's time to permanently reauthorize the HCTC and we stand ready to work with you to provide affordable health care to our constituents.

Thank you for your attention to this important matter.

Sincerely,

Jared F. Golden, Member of Congress

Michael R. Turner, Member of Congress

Daniel T. Kildee,Member of Congress

Victoria Spartz, Member of Congress

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Original text here: https://turner.house.gov/press-releases?ID=C24FE7BA-1C04-4CAC-913C-DDB46209E9B8