Ohio’s congressional delegation is calling on Congress to reinstate a tax credit for health care they say helped former auto workers. The Health Coverage Tax Credit, which expired in January, covered a large part of health premiums for people who’ve lost their jobs or seen changes in their retirement benefits—
Many former employees of the Delphi auto plant depended on the credit. It was another blow for thousands of Delphi retirees, including about 2 thousand in Dayton, who saw their pensions drastically reduced after Delphi’s 2009 bankruptcy.
Congressman Mike Turner and both Ohio senators trying to get those pensions restored. Now they want the Senate Finance or Ways and Means Committee to attach a 2-year extension of the Health Coverage Tax Credit to any bill moving through the legislature.
Turner acknowledges it will be a challenge because the government isn’t getting much done these days.
“Congress has been in gridlock, the senate has been moving very few bills," Turner said. "So, the concern really is trying to find a vehicle where the senate might be able to pass a bill that would include this.”
Ohio legislators delivered a letter requesting the tax credit extension amendment to the committee chairmen Monday.
