Washington, D.C. – Dean of the United States House of Representatives, John D. Dingell (D-MI15), issued the following statement for the record today opposing H.R. 4, the Small Business Paperwork Mandate Elimination Act of 2011:

“Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to H.R. 4, the Small Business Paperwork Mandate Elimination Act.  I want to say on record, however, that I support repeal of the Affordable Care Act’s 1099 mandate.  This onerous paperwork requirement was included in the Act at the insistence of our colleagues in the other body, and not by us in the House. 

“The 1099 mandate should be repealed, but it must be done in a fiscally responsible manner than does not harm working families, who struggle every day to cope with the effects of the current recession.  The bill we are presently considering passes the cost of the 1099 repeal on to middle class Americans by ensuring that more of them will be subject to increased taxes.  Moreover, H.R. 4 will reduce the number of Americans with health coverage by over a quarter million, according to the Joint Committee on Taxation.

“Mr. Speaker, H.R. 4 is a poor compromise, reminiscent of the legislative travesty foisted on the American people last December when Senate Republicans insisted unemployment benefits come at the price of tax cuts for the rich.  I call on my colleagues to oppose this bill and instead work to find more responsible ways to pay for the repeal of the 1099 mandate, such as closing foreign tax loopholes and eliminating tax breaks for oil companies.

“I yield back the balance of my time.”

The House of Representatives passed a repeal of 1099 reporting requirements today.  Congressman Dingell has for years been a leading watchdog for small businesses and supports repealing the 1099 mandate in a fiscally responsible manner.   He continues vigorous oversight in the 112th Congress to see that the Congress implements responsible policies that do not harm working families.

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