Stop the Health Care Tax

Dear SMWIA Member,

One of the greatest achievements of collective bargaining over the past 50 years has been the thousands of employer provided health and welfare funds that provide union members and their dependents the best health care coverage in the United States. 

Health care reform is long overdue and President Obama along with Congressional leaders should be applauded for pursuing it.  Of the many proposals offered in Congress for health care reform, one - first offered by President Reagan in the 1980s and supported by Senator John McCain in his failed run at the Presidency last year - is much worse than the others.

 

This proposal would put a tax on employer provided health care coverage as if it were income.  It would serve as an additional tax on union members while at the same time providing an additional burden on responsible signatory employers who play by the rules.

 

Health care reform is urgently needed in America.  However, it cannot work if it is built on the backs of union members who worked to make health care possible for millions of American families.  This tax will force many employers to drop health care coverage entirely while burdening union families at a time when our nation is trying to recover from 8 years of economic mismanagement. 

Please take a moment to contact your Senators and Representatives in Congress and urge them to vote no to a health care benefits tax.

Send a letter to the following decision maker(s):
Your Congressperson
Your Senators

Below is the sample letter:

Subject: No Health Care Tax On Working Families!

Dear [decision maker name automatically inserted here],

Access to health care coverage is a major problem in America. There are now many proposals being considered which will bring long overdue relief to millions of American families.

Taxing the health care benefits of working families as income is not one of them. It would increase the cost of health care and lead many employers to stop providing health benefits altogether, making the health care problem in America worse.

A tax on health care benefits targets middle-class families made up of middle-income Americans who are already struggling to pay their health care costs.

I urge you to vote no to a tax on health care benefits which will do nothing to solve the health care crisis in America.

Sincerely,

[Your Name]
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What's At Stake:

Union members have worked hard to expand health care coverage to millions of American families.  The last thing we need is to be taxed on our benefits.

Taxing the health care benefits of working families as income would increase the cost of health care and lead many employers to stop providing health benefits altogether.

Far from moving us in the direction of comprehensive health care reform, a tax on health tax benefits would only make the problem worse.


Campaign Expiration Date:
August 31, 2009