U.S. Rep. David P. Joyce, R-Russell Township, announced Wednesday that he voted for the Require a Plan Act.

The legislation, H.R. 444, would require the White House to either produce a balanced budget within a 10-year window or by April 1, 2013, provide a supplemental budget plan that identifies what year their plan would achieve a balanced budget.

“Today, I voted to put the U.S. on a path toward balancing our budget,” Joyce said in a statement. “No more budget tricks. No more accounting gimmicks. No more empty promises. Every year, Northeast Ohio families sit down to write a budget, why shouldn't Washington do the same?  It’s my hope that this starts a serious conversation in Washington about controlling spending to provide a more stable and secure future.”

The Require a Plan Act passed by a vote of 253-167 and the current U.S. debt is more than $16.5 trillion.

Joyce also commented on introduction of the bipartisan Protect Medical Innovation Act, which would repeal a nearly $30 billion tax on medical devices.

The legislation was introduced by U.S. Reps. Erik Paulsen, R-Minn. and Rep. Ron Kind, D-Wisc.
“Now is not the time to be raising taxes on American manufacturing,” Joyce said. “Congress should make it easier, not harder for American businesses to create more high-paying jobs and careers for qualified Americans ready to work. We need to protect jobs, not threaten them.”

Ohio’s 14th Congressional District is home to several device manufacturers including Mentor-based STERIS Corp. and Philips Healthcare in Highland Heights, Joyce noted.

He said that according to The Lewin Group, Inc., national health care and human services consulting firm based in Virginia, the tax puts at risk the 422,778 American jobs in the medical device industry.

John Arthur Hutchison
JHutchison@News-Herald.com
Twitter: @newsheraldjah