The House Ways and Means approved H.R. 160, which would repeal the 
2.3% excise medical device manufacturers imposed under the Act and intended to help cover some the costs the law. The bill is expected to be considered soon by the House.
“It’s an iron law economics that when you something, you get less it, so we’ve really got our wires crossed here,” Chair Rep. Paul Ryan said the . The Wisconsin Republican added, “We want more medical devices. What we want less is this bureaucratic meddling.”
The passed the “Protect Medical Innovation Act 2015” by a vote 25 to 14, mostly along party lines. The bill was introduced in January by Congressman Erik Paulsen, a Republican from Minnesota. It attracted 282 co-sponsors, including 41 Democrats.
The medical device has been criticized by both Republicans and Democrats as hindering medical innovation and increasing costs to patients.
Rep. Sandy Levin, a Michigan Democrat who is the ranking member his party the , said, “Clearly this bill reflects the majority’s objective to unravel” the .
Other Democrats noted that the medical device industry had agreed to contribute to the the law when was being drafted, and that the industry’s revenue has increased despite the .