Portman cosponsors measures to lessen the burden of Obamacare

In recent weeks, U.S. Senator Rob Portman (R-Ohio) has cosponsored several bills to delay the burden of Obamacare on individuals, families, and businesses as he continues to work with his colleagues in Congress to defund, repeal, and replace this big-government health care law with market-based reforms.

“Americans deserve access to affordable and quality health care that best suits their individual needs, and government has no business forcing individuals, families, and employers to enter into costly health care exchanges that will make it more difficult for them to make ends meet,” said Portman.

“President Obama chose to delay the employer mandate of the health care law because it will be a burden on businesses and job creators. Rather than delaying its implementation for businesses, this law should be repealed for everyone. Until then, I will fight to make sure that this onerous and complex law harms as few Ohioans as possible.”

In addition to cosponsoring the Defund Obamacare Act of 2013 (S.1292) introduced by U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX), Portman has cosponsored the following bills:

• The Forty Hours Is Full Time Act of 2013 (S.1188): This bipartisan measure, introduced by U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Joe Donnelly (D-IN), would change the definition of "full time" in Obamacare from 30 to 40 hours per week.

Many businesses are choosing to hire part-time workers instead of full-time to avoid crushing Obamacare regulations. Although 40 hours per week is the traditional definition of full-time, Obamacare defines it as 30 hours, meaning that workers are being forced to work 30 hours or less, reducing their hours and pay, as companies attempt to skirt the health care law’s onerous regulations.

• The Requiring Exchange Verification of Eligibility to Receive Income-Related Funds for Individuals (Requiring E-VERIFI) Act of 2013 (S.1455): This measure, introduced by U.S. Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK), would prevent the distribution of subsidies until a system for income verification is in place and fully operational.

• The Fairness For American Families Act (S.1488): This measure, introduced by U.S. Senator Dan Coats (R-IN), would delay the application of the individual and employer health insurance mandate until 2015. The House passed identical legislation (H.R. 2668) in July 2013 by a vote of 251-174, including 29 Democrats.

In January 2013, Portman introduced the Small Business Health Relief Act (S.24), legislation that relieves families and businesses by repealing many of the provisions imposed by Obamacare that will likely continue to cause premiums to rise, harm employers, and stifle consumer-driven health care.

In August 2013, Portman also sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius and Marilyn Tavenner, Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, expressing his concerns regarding the upcoming enrollment of individuals in the Health Insurance Marketplaces and asking them “to delay the start of the enrollment period until the necessary leadership and preparation are in place to ensure that the Marketplace can handle the volume on day one of enrollment.”

In the letter, Portman voices his concern that “the Marketplaces will not be operational in time and this will result in confusion and disarray for Ohioans seeking to obtain health insurance on the individual insurance market.”