Pennsylvania Congressman Mike Kelly (PA-6) called on Congress to take steps to authorize composite plans, repeal the Cadillac tax, and pass a long-term infrastructure bill during a visit to a local construction project on May 3. The Congressman made his comments while touring a local construction project by P.J. Dick Inc. along with representatives of the Master Builders of Pennsylvania, Constructors Association of Western Pennsylvania and the Associated General Contractors of America.
"It is time to repeal the excise tax on health care plans that punishes tens of thousands of hard-working construction workers," said Stephen E. Sandherr, the association's chief executive officer. "Congress needs serious leaders, like Rep. Kelly who will work hard to find solutions to our nation's most pressing issues, like the Cadillac tax, infrastructure investments, and regulatory reform."
While touring the job site, the Congressman and construction officials talked about the need for Congress to pass new infrastructure measures, enact the Middle Class Health Benefits Tax Repeal Act of 2019 and to continue with regulatory reform. They also discussed the industry's impact on the economic health of the district, commonwealth, and country. The tour took place at the more than 346,000 sq. ft. project that P.J. Dick Inc. is building on a local project.
Jake Ploeger, co-CEO of P.J. Dick Inc. said, "We always enjoy showcasing the great work of our talented craftspeople. We certainly support the expansion of Private Equity Bonds and encourage the repeal of the Cadillac Tax. Those initiatives would benefit the industry by allowing tax credits to finance public buildings and remove a burdensome surtax placed on employer-provided health insurance plans."
"It was an honor to showcase to Representative Kelly the construction work of our member firm and the skilled men and women of the trades working on the project that have chosen a rewarding career in construction as their livelihood," added Jack Ramage, executive director of Master Builder of Pennsylvania.
"America is doing better than ever. To continue that growth, we need to eliminate job-killing taxes and invest in our country's infrastructure to meets the needs of the 21st century economy. That includes repealing the so-called ‘Cadillac Tax,' which creates exactly the wrong incentive by punishing companies for offering good health insurance plans to their employees. We must also rebuild our nation's crumbling infrastructure, including our ports, which are the life-blood of a vibrant economy here in Erie and throughout our nation," said Kelly. "Thank you to the Master Builders of Pennsylvania, the Constructors Association of Western Pennsylvania and the Associated General Contractors of America for inviting me to tour this job site, which is another good example of what has resulted from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and the elimination of unnecessary regulations under this administration."
