BOSTON – A budget deal reached in Congress temporarily shelved a controversial tax on medical devices that industry leaders in Massachusetts claim has cost jobs and slowed innovation.
The medical device excise tax, enacted as part of the 2010 Affordable Care Act, imposes a 2.3 percent surcharge on sales of equipment by manufacturers and importers and was projected to raise $38 billion over its first decade to help fund the massive overhaul of the nation's health insurance market.
NEW YORK (AP) — The divide between Republicans and Democrats over abortion is deeper than ever. Activists on both sides foresee a 2016 presidential campaign in which the nominees tackle the volatile topic more aggressively than in past elections.
Friction over the issue also is likely to surface in key Senate races. The opposing camps will be further energized by Republican-led congressional investigations of Planned Parenthood and by Supreme Court consideration of tough anti-abortion laws in Texas.
