VIDEO: Young Hails Inclusion of Top Priorities In Year-End Funding Agreement
Click here or the image above to watch Senator Young’s remarks.
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Todd Young (R-Ind.) hailed the inclusion of several of his top priorities in the in the bipartisan year-end government funding agreement negotiated by the House and Senate.
The appropriations package, which just passed the House and now heads to the Senate, includes Senator Young’s bipartisan Tobacco to 21 Act, legislation to protect middle and high school students from the dangers of e-cigarettes and tobacco products; the permanent repeal of the medial device tax, an effort Senator Young has long championed to strengthen innovation, safeguard patient care, and protect Hoosier jobs; and a 3.1% pay increase for our men and women in uniform, the largest pay raise in over a decade.
“Well, I’m just thankful as we approach year’s end, that amidst all the debate and disagreement that has been occurring on Capitol Hill we were able to get this year-end spending package put together. Bipartisan in nature with many important things there for the American people,” Senator Young said. “Hopefully we can get this onto the President’s desk, and we’ll all act expeditiously as we approach year’s end.”
View Senator Young’s full comments here.
Additional background here and below:
Tobacco to 21 Act
In April, Senator Young led a bipartisan group of Senators, including Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), and Mitt Romney (R-Utah), in introducing the Tobacco to 21 Act. This bipartisan legislation addresses the nationwide epidemic of e-cigarette and tobacco use among high school and middle school students by prohibiting the sale of tobacco products to anyone under the age of 21. The legislation passed out of the Senate HELP committee in June. Roughly 95 percent of adult smokers began smoking before the age of 21. Raising the tobacco age will help protect kids and prevent future smokers.
Medical Device Tax Repeal
The medical device tax is an issue that impacts American patients, families, and innovators. Established as part of Obamacare, this misguided provision placed a 2.3 percent excise tax on numerous devices – from lifesaving pacemakers to surgical gloves and hospital beds. It threatened medical innovation, patient care, and cost the industry thousands of American jobs. Since 2015, Congress has placed this harmful tax under temporary moratoriums, but it was set to go back into effect January 1, 2020. For years, Senator Young has led the effort to secure a permanent repeal of this onerous tax, which is now included in the year-end legislative package.
Military Pay Raise
As a Marine, Senator Young is focused on ensuring our men and women in uniform receive the support they deserve. This funding agreement includes an increase of $22 billion in defense spending to continue rebuilding our nation’s military, and provide our men in women in uniform with a 3.1 percent pay increase – the largest in a decade.