(Washington, DC) – Today, Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher (TX-07) voted in favor of H.R. 748, the Middle Class Health Benefits Tax Repeal Act of 2019, which repeals the 40% excise tax on “premium” health care plans known as the “Cadillac Tax.” The bill passed the House of Representatives today with bipartisan support, 419 to 6.

The “Cadillac Tax” would have worked as an incentive for employers to reduce benefits for employees in order to avoid paying the tax, making quality health care less affordable for working families. The tax is so unpopular that over the past nine years, its implementation has been postponed twice, and is currently set to take effect in 2022. H.R. 748 completely repeals the tax.

“I came to Congress to improve our health care system and improve access and affordability to quality health care. The ‘Cadillac Tax’ works against those goals. It incentivizes a reduction in benefits for employees and their families, leading to more out-of-pocket costs for health care,” said Congresswoman Fletcher. “I’m glad to see bipartisan agreement on its repeal today and I look forward to continuing to work to improve the Affordable Care Act and protect our care.”

Congresswoman Fletcher is a member of the New Democrat Coalition’s Health Care Task Force, working to develop and advance policies to improve our healthcare system, reduce costs, increase choices for consumers, modernize regulations, reduce burdens for small businesses, and expand coverage, building a path toward universal coverage. The 116th Congress has passed ten bills aimed at improving our health care system, all supported by Fletcher.