Not satisfied with regulating all manufacturing, transportation, construction, energy and other economic activities, the head of the EPA is now weighing in on health care. The “Statement by EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson on Today’s Effort in Congress to Repeal the Affordable Care Act“:

This vote would take us back to the days when people could be denied coverage because of preexisting conditions or dropped from their insurance just because they get sick. With reports that asthma is on the rise – especially among children – and causing millions of emergency room and hospital visits each year, as well as tens of millions of missed school and work days, it is critical for our health and our economy that people have access to quality, affordable medical coverage. As the mother of a son with asthma and the head of an agency charged with protecting the health of the American people, it’s disheartening to see this support for a measure that would leave millions of adults and children without access to health coverage and force them to fend for themselves when they get sick.

We anxiously await Steven Chu’s input on HIPAA and Erik Shinseki’s guidance on medical liability reform.

The National Association of Manufacturers on Tuesday sent a “Key Vote” letter to House members urging support of H.R. 2, the bill to repeal the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. From the letter:

The vast majority of American manufacturers, including 97 percent of NAM member companies, voluntarily offer health benefits not only to attract a skilled workforce, but because they believe it is the right thing to do for their employees. Our members support proposals that reduce soaring health costs, improve the efficiency of the current system and enhance the quality of care.

Conversely, manufacturers oppose proposals that make it more expensive or more difficult for employers to offer health benefits. Legislation enacted in 2010 – specifically the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act – will drive up manufacturers’ health care costs and force many companies to consider abandoning the generous benefits they currently offer.

We remain adamantly opposed to the new laws’ employer mandates, industry-specific fees, Medicare hospital insurance tax increases, reporting requirements, excise taxes and limits on Flexible Spending Accounts – all of which will place more burdens on America’s job creators. Our nation can and must do much better at finding a health care solution, and the 2010 legislation should be repealed.

Determined by a committee presenting NAM members of all sizes, Key Votes are used to rate a member of Congress’ record on manufacturing-related issues.

The National Association of Manufacturers is a member of the StartOver! Coalition, the members of which believe one can best achievable an affordable, flexible and sustainable health care system by repealing last year’s Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The supporting employer associations signed onto a full-page ad that ran in Capitol Hill publications.

To see the full ad and its list of supporting organizations, click here.