House Passes Bill Easing Employer Mandate
The House Representatives, ignoring a veto threat from President Barack Obama, passed a bill Thursday that would ease the requirement under the Act for to provide to their workers.
The measure, passed 252-172, would require to provide to workers who put in 40 or more , rather than the – threshold currently in effect.
The bill now goes to the Senate, where Republicans now hold a majority. Prior to the November election, a Democratic majority in the Senate had blocked numerous Republican efforts to overturn or modify key portions the Act.
President Obama said he would veto the bill because it would reduce by 1 million the number Americans receiving through their workplace, and would increase the deficit by $53 billion over 10 years.
The and the staff the estimated that the measure would add 500,000 to 1 million to the number people obtaining through , the Children’s (CHIP) or exchanges, and increase the number by up to 500,000.
The House vote indicates that support for the measure may not be strong enough to overturn a veto by the president.
Republicans, who voted unanimously for the measure along with 12 Democrats, say the current – cutoff creates an incentive for to reduce workers’ to 29 or less to avoid for failing to provide for those working or more.
Democrats opposing the measure argued that could adjust workweeks to 39 to stay under the new proposed threshold, resulting in many more workers losing -based .
Starting this year, the requires with 100 or more – workers to or pay . In 2016 that requirement expands to with 50 or more – workers.
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