Skip to main content
Image
Photo of the U.S. Capitol dome

Wilson Votes to Help Small Businesses Hire More Veterans

January 6, 2015

(West Columbia, SC) – Congressman Joe Wilson (SC-02) today issued the following statement after the House passed H.R. 22, the Hire More Heroes Act of 2015, to permit employers to exclude employees who already have health coverage through a Department of Defense program when determining whether they must provide health care coverage to their employees under Obamacare:

"The President's overhaul of our nation's health care system burdens the main driver of our economy – small businesses – as well as the many veterans seeking job opportunities. Obamacare's employer mandate raises costs for small businesses and hurts their ability to hire employees, while veterans already face a tough job market.

"In an effort to help both veterans and small businesses, today's common sense, bipartisan bill exempts veterans already receiving health care through the VA or TRICARE from being counted toward the number of employees that must receive employer-sponsored health coverage. This policy change incentivizes businesses to hire more veterans and provides much needed relief to employers to encourage economic growth.

"Our nation's heroes deserve every opportunity to successfully transition to the civilian workforce, and I know our veterans' extensive skills and training can help grow our economy. Their potential for employment should not be restricted by the failures of Obamacare, and I am grateful that one of my first votes in the 114th Congress supports veterans while taking a critical first step to rein in the out-of-control Obamacare law."

Obamacare's employer mandate requires all businesses with more than 50 full-time employees to provide employer-sponsored insurance. Businesses not in compliance face a $2,000 noncompliance penalty for each employee beyond the 30th they hire after 50 in addition to the salary and benefits they must provide to their employees. However, under current law, veterans who already receive health insurance through the VA or TRICARE would still be counted toward the employer mandate. H.R. 22, which passed the House by a vote of 412–0, exempts these veterans from being included in this count toward the employer mandate.