Representative Kevin Hern (OK-01) released the following statement after voting against the $3.5 trillion reconciliation package in a Ways and Means Committee markup today. The committee spent four days over the last week debating amendments on pieces of the legislation under Ways and Means jurisdiction.

“Speaker Pelosi’s priorities are not in line with the American peoples’ priorities,” said Rep. Hern. “We spent four days marking up the largest expansion of the federal government in history when we knew from the start that many of these provisions will not become law. Not only are the policies we debated over the last four days unpopular among the American people, they are also unpopular among many Democrats, including multiple Senators and several House Democrats. Just earlier today, we saw the Pelosi’s drug pricing proposal rejected in the House Energy and Commerce Committee, with several Democrats voting against it. I believe we will see more of this as the reconciliation package continues to make its way through House committees.”

Rep. Hern offered five amendments over the course of the 4-day markup; each was rejected by the Democrat majority.

Amendment #1 – on Universal Paid Family and Medical Leave (Subtitle A). Offered on Thursday, September 9.

Rep. Hern’s amendment would protect Americans’ existing paid family and medical leave plans and prevent unfairly forcing the middle class to subsidize corporations’ paid leave plans.

You can watch Rep. Hern’s statement on this amendment here.

Amendment #2 – on Medicare Dental, Hearing, and Vision Coverage (Subtitle E). Offered on Friday, September 10.

Rep. Hern’s amendment would ensure access to hearing, vision, and dental benefits in private Medicare plans in rural and underserved communities of color. Rep. Hern added a letter to the record with 14 Republican Members of the Ways and Means Committee in support of Medicare Advantage, urging protections as Medicare approaches insolvency.

You can watch Rep. Hern’s statement on this amendment here.

Amendment #3 – on Democrat Tax Increases (Subtitle I). Offered on Tuesday, September 14.

Rep. Hern’s amendment would delay the effective date of Subtitles F-J until the inflation rate has been at or below 2.5% for 12 consecutive months.

You can watch Rep. Hern’s statement on this amendment here.

Amendment #4 – on Government Price Setting (Subtitle J). Offered on Tuesday, September 14.

Rep. Hern’s amendment would exempt any drug used to treat or cure rare diseases from price setting.

You can watch Rep. Hern’s statement on this amendment here.

Amendment #5 – on Democrat Tax Increases (Subtitle I). Offered on Wednesday, September 15.

Rep. Hern’s amendment would strike the changes to Foreign Derived Intangible Income (FDII) deductions which prevent American companies from moving their intellectual property overseas.

You can watch Rep. Hern’s statement on this amendment here.

Additional Information

Rep. Hern’s opening statement from Thursday can be found here.

Rep. Hern also spoke in support of amendments from Rep. Adrian Smith (NE-03) on September 14 and Rep. Jodey Arrington (TX-19) on September 15.

Rep. Smith’s amendment would make permanent the SALT deduction cap for millionaires and increase funding for cancer research. Watch Rep. Hern’s statement here.

Rep. Arrington’s amendment would require the Secretary of the Treasury to certify that changes to the treatment of foreign oil and gas extraction income will not reduce U.S. energy independence or increase oil and gas production in Russia, China, Venezuela, or Iran. Watch Rep. Hern’s statement here.

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