U.S. Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Rob Portman (R-OH), members of the Senate Finance Committee, introduced an amendment today to extend the Health Coverage Tax Credit (HCTC). The senators' bipartisan amendment to the Hire More Heroes Act -- which the Senate Finance Committee is considering today -- would extend the HCTC for three years.
"The Health Coverage Tax Credit ensures that the loss of a job doesn't mean the loss of health coverage for workers who affected by unfair trade," Brown said. "The HCTC is a critical bridge that helps ensure health care is affordable for tens of thousands of families. Delphi workers and their families have been forced to wait too long -- it's time to act now."
"Delphi retirees and their families throughout Ohio have relied on the Health Coverage Tax Credit and I will fight to extend it this year to help them regain the financial security they've lost through no fault of their own," Portman stated.
In addition to Brown and Portman, U.S. Sens. Bob Casey (D-PA), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Charles E. Schumer (D-NY), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Robert Menendez (D-NJ), and Ben Cardin (D-MD) cosponsored the amendment that would make the tax credit retroactive to Jan. 1, 2014 and extend HCTC through Dec. 31, 2016 to help retirees maintain affordable healthcare.