Middle Class Health Benefits Tax Repeal Act of 2019

Floor Speech

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Mr. DUNN. Mr. Speaker, oftentimes, when both sides of the aisle acknowledge that a bill is not perfect, it ultimately means it is actually quite good. With that said, I do want to highlight some specific concerns that I have with provisions in this bill, both in their direct effects, and also the future precedent that they may set.

Historically there is little evidence that direct to consumers stimulus checks have a significant impact on the economy or that they lead to the kind of spending necessary to counteract an economic downturn. The Economic Stimulus Act of 2008 (signed February 13, 2008) provided $600 checks to individuals and cost $168 Billion. A study by the Bureau of Labor statistics later showed that, ultimately, nearly 70 percent of recipients either used the money to pay off existing debt, or simply put it into savings. Those are not activities that stimulate the economy, and unsurprisingly that effort failed to stop a four percent contraction in GDP, the loss of over eight million jobs, and the worst overall economic disaster since the great depression. Overall, I believe that this bill will help us to avoid the same fate, but that will be due to other more robust provisions that acknowledge the importance of our small businesses and job creators in the private sector.

The incentive and ability for anyone, regardless of their circumstances, to work hard and improve their life is a fundamental tenet of the American dream. It is essential that we do not allow this stimulus payment to serve as a pilot program for a Universal Basic Income, as some have suggested. Furthermore, it is true that this bill will at times create a situation where some people could actually earn more money by filing for unemployment if furloughed than they would by staying in the workforce. We must acknowledge the potential for this to set a damaging precedent.

This bill provides robust funding for our nation's hospitals and some needed flexibility in the telehealth space to ensure Americans, particularly seniors, are able to visit with their doctors in the lowest risk setting possible. I was disappointed however in the lack of a specific carve out that acknowledges the unique challenges faced by our rural hospitals, like the many that serve Florida's second district. I was also disappointed that the bill does not provide statutory relief for those who may not have video phone capabilities required to meet reimbursement criteria for telehealth visits. It is my understanding and hope however, that the Center for Medicare and Medicaid services will be able to provide adequate guidance to allow for ``audio only'' visits.

I believe that the $9.7 Billion provided to Secretary Sonny Perdue to aid our agriculture industry is a good first start, but ultimately more resources will need to be made available in the near future. Recent volatility in the global trade markets and natural disasters, combined with an already weakened Agriculture economy mean our producers need help now more than ever. It is my hope that we can provide additional relief to our farmers, ranchers, and foresters suffering from this crisis soon.

Finally, in an effort to protect the safety of this legislative body, this bill was largely negotiated by a few individuals within our leadership and the Administration. Their work, especially given the fact that they willingly put their own health at risk, is commendable. However, this came at the cost of a lack of input from the vast majority of our constituents and led to the inclusion of funding priorities that should have been debated over the course of the regular appropriations process. Programs like the National Endowment for the Arts, Corporation for Public Broadcasting, Institute of Museum and Library Services, and the Kennedy Center total hundreds of millions of dollars in this bill. We must ensure that any future relief package is entirely focused on the Coronavirus relief, and that vital resources are directed in the most effective way possible.

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