U.S. Rep. Ron Kind (D-Wisc) is working on a bipartisan compromise plan to end the federal government shutdown.
The deal with moderate Republicans would make one change to the Affordable Care Act. It would fund the government for six months in exchange for eliminating the tax on medical devices, one of the funding mechanisms for health care reform law.
Kind says he worked on the deal with Pennsylvania Republican Charlie Dent and a group of about 20 House Republicans and 20 House Democrats who are meeting without the support of their party leaders.
“It seems to be the case around here that when one party feels they've got the upper hand, and they've got their foot on the other person's neck, they don't want to let him up,” says Kind. “That, I think, is very damaging to a democracy.”
Kind calls the medical device tax a flaw in the Affordable Care Act, and he says replacing it with other revenue is supported by both parties.
“Some may claim that this is just holding out and acceding to Republican demands with the shutdown,” says Kind. “But what it is also saying is Republicans are interested in trying to fix and improve the Affordable Care Act rather than get rid of it.”
The compromise would fund the government for six months instead of just six weeks at levels already approved by the U.S. Senate. It would not address the debt ceiling.
“I hope people don't think that it would be a major accomplishment if you had a clean budget resolution pass, but only for six weeks,” says Kind. “I think most people at home would laugh at us. It would be a joke.”
Ron Kind says Rep. Reid Ribble (R-Wisc.) is part of the bipartisan group, which has sent the proposal to both House Speaker John Boehner and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi.
