OREGON REPUBLICAN PARTY, 12/22/2009 from Bob Tiernan, Chairman - Oregon Republicans: The United States Senate is scheduled to hold a series of votes over the next three days on health care reform. In the rush to pass their massive health care reform bill before Christmas, Senate Democrats have inserted a last-minute provision into the bill which overtly targets the construction industry by mandating all construction companies over 5 employees offer health insurance. However, every other industry is granted an exemption if they have fewer than 50 employees. Clearly, this is payback for the unions and a potentially devastating issue for many small construction companies in Oregon and across the country.
Who is the Senator that introduced this outrageous last-minute provision? None other than Oregon's own Jeff Merkley.
Senator Merkley inserted this provision into the health care bill as a "manager's amendment" with no open debate on the concept, no vote taken and certainly no Senate hearings proceeding it. There is no logical rationale for singling out the construction industry to suddenly have to offer health care plans if they have five or more employees. If there was a logical reason for it, they would have openly discussed this issue and cast a fair vote on it. This narrow provision is an unprecedented assault on small construction employers and unjustly targets an industry trying to keep its doors open during the worst housing downturn since the Great Depression.
We're asking you to take a few minutes today to call the offices of Senator Jeff Merkley and Senator Ron Wyden to express your outrage with this provision targeting small construction employers and ask them to "Vote NO on HR 3590" (the health care reform bill).
- Senator Merkley's Oregon district office can be reached at (503) 326-3386.
Senator Wyden's Oregon district office can be reached at (503) 326-7525.
Bob Tiernan
Chairman, Oregon Republican Party
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