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Washington, DC – Today, Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02) proposed an amendment that received bipartisan support during the Education and Labor Committee’s mark-up of America’s Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009 that aimed to protect jobs and prevent the government takeover of health care.  The amendment eliminates the controversial “pay or play” provisions in the legislation.

“As a small businessman, I have serious concerns about a mandate that requires employers to offer federally dictated benefits or pay costly financial penalties,” Guthrie said.  “This scheme will cost jobs in an already weak economy instead of focusing on protecting jobs and expanding health care coverage.”

The “pay or play” provision would create a new payroll tax on employers who do not provide their employees with health insurance coverage or who provide coverage that is deemed inadequate by government bureaucrats.  The new payroll tax could equal as much as 8% of the payroll of the entire company.