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Congressman Bob Latta (R-Bowling Green) today joined his colleagues in the U.S. House of Representatives in voting in support of H.R. 3979, the Protecting Volunteer Firefighters and Emergency Responders Act, and H.R. 3474, the Hire More Heroes Act. Both are bipartisan pieces of legislation that grant exemptions under Obamacare in an effort to fix drafting errors, perceived oversights or unintended consequences of the President’s healthcare law.

"Today, the House came together in a bipartisan fashion to fix issues with the healthcare law that if left in their current state would have had adverse effects on hardworking Americans who have been forced to sign up for Obamacare,” said Latta. 

"Each day, our volunteer firefighters and emergency workers donate their time and efforts to protect others. However, the IRS has mistakenly defined these individuals as full-time employees, which would require communities to provide healthcare coverage under the President’s healthcare law. This provision not only has the potential to bankrupt our small villages and townships, but also endangers public safety. Therefore, today I was proud to support the Protecting Volunteer Firefighters and Emergency Responders Act to ensure our already cash-strapped communities don’t have to pay for the IRS’ oversight.”

“In addition, the President’s signature law has disincentivized some businesses from hiring more employees due to the overwhelming financial burden that would be incurred under the healthcare law’s employer mandate. In passing the Hire More Heroes Act, the House is empowering employers to expand their businesses by hiring more veterans, as these individuals already have healthcare coverage through TRICARE and the Department of Veterans Affairs.”

The Protecting Volunteer Firefighters and Emergency Responders Act would ensure that volunteer firefighters or other emergency workers are not counted against the number of employees who need to get employer coverage under the employer mandate. Similarly, the Hire Our Heroes Act would ensure that employees with TRICARE or Veterans Affairs coverage are not counted under the law’s employer mandate.

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