Problem Solvers Caucus 290-Cosponsorship Rule Paves Way for Passage of Bipartisan Cadillac Tax Repeal

House repeals excise tax to help keep health care costs down

WASHINGTON – Today, December 17, 2019, the Problem Solvers Caucus praised the House repeal of the excessive health care “Cadillac Tax” in the House-passed appropriations package. Without this repeal, health care costs would have increased for one in five Americans beginning next year.

The repeal of the Cadillac Tax was bolstered by the use of the PSC-backed House “Consensus Calendar,” allowing for floor consideration of any legislation with more than 290 bipartisan cosponsors.  The Consensus Calendar was put into place earlier this year with House Rules changes worked on by the Problem Solvers Caucus and leadership on both sides on aisle.

H.R. 748 cuts the 40 percent tax levied on employer health insurance plans above certain thresholds set to go into effect in 2022, causing an excessive increase in health care costs. The tax would affect an estimated 1 in 5 employers. Employer-sponsored insurance is the largest source of coverage for Americans, covering more than 156 million people.

“Today’s bipartisan vote to cut the sky-high Cadillac Tax is a big win for New Jersey families, including so many hardworking women and men of labor,” said Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5). “I’m glad that more than eighty percent of my House colleagues who cosponsored the original Cadillac tax repeal came together to make health care more affordable for families nationwide.”

“The Consensus Calendar has turned into the go to place for common sense bipartisan bills to move out of the house closet to law to help people we care deeply about. The Problem Solvers Caucus is proud to give the Cadillac Tax an avenue for passage and we hope other Members utilize this rule change to give their common sense bills a fair chance at passage,” said Congressman Tom Reed (NY-23).

Rep. Joe Courtney, the lead sponsor of H.R.748, filed a motion to place the bill on the House’s Consensus Calendar on May 21st. Under the new House Rules, once a bill reaches 290 co-sponsors, a 25 legislative day clock will begin. If the primary committee of jurisdiction does not report the bill out of committee by the end of the 25 legislative days, the legislation will be placed on the new Consensus Calendar, where it will remain until the bill is considered. For every in-session week, after February 28th of the First Session and before September 30th of the Second Session, majority leadership will be required to bring at least one bill on the Consensus Calendar to the House floor for a vote.

The Problem Solvers Caucus is a bipartisan group in Congress comprising 48 members – equally divided between Democrats and Republicans – who are committed to forging bipartisan cooperation on key issues. It is co-chaired by Congressman Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) and Congressman Tom Reed (R-NY).

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