WASHINGTON – Congressman Chris Pappas (D-NH) took briefly took part in a pair of roundtable discussions this week discussing healthcare and tax fairness.
On Wednesday, Pappas talked to the Tax Foundation in their round table about State and Federal Policy Responses on Multi-State Taxation.
There, Pappas discussed the Multi-State Worker Tax Fairness Act, a piece of legislation he co-sponsored with two other members of Congress from Connecticut. The bill came as a reaction to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts trying to tax workers that live in other states and normally work in Massachusetts but have worked remotely since the beginning of the pandemic.
Pappas told Tax Foundation President Scott Hodge that New Hampshire has a “very special” tax climate that is guarded fiercely by Granite Staters, adding that New Hampshire is innately tied to Massachusetts given the 100,000 New Hampshire residents that normally work in Massachusetts.
He also said that he’s received a positive response from members of Congress from other Eastern seaboard states that hear similar concerns from their constituents and ultimately the issue boils down to fairness.
“We’re certainly not going to down without a fight on this issue,” said Pappas.
After the beginning of the pandemic, Massachusetts joined six other states by instituting “convenience” rules for multi-state workers that can expose workers to double taxation.
On Thursday, Pappas stopped by Protect Our Care’s “Your Health, Your Vote” virtual bus tour, where panelists spoke about the importance of November’s election and its impact on the Affordable Care Act.
Pappas said that if efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act succeed, New Hampshire senior citizens could see their prescription costs rise by 66 percent.
“What we can’t afford to have happen is to see this political effort that has been underway for years to repeal the Affordable Care Act to succeed, especially during a pandemic,” he said.
The Pappas’ campaign also attacked Matt Mowers prior to the Thursday event, citing past opposition from Mowers against the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare.
“Despite a global pandemic that has killed hundreds of Granite Staters and left countless more with pre-existing conditions, Matt Mowers wants to throw our health care system into utter chaos. From his opposition to the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid Expansion to his full-throated support for the Trump Administration’s lawsuit to gut these programs, Mowers has made it clear that he only cares about catering to his party’s leadership – not the health of our friends, families, and neighbors,” said Campaign Manager Lucas Meyer. “Let’s be clear: Mowers’s health care agenda would rip away health care from at least 57,000 Granite Staters, gut protections for those with pre-existing conditions, increase premiums, and allow insurance companies to charge an “age tax” on our seniors. These are simple and disturbing facts that voters will judge Mr. Mowers on come election day.”
The Mowers campaign in return attacked the Pappas campaign on taxes during Pappas’ tenure as a state representative over a decade ago.
Although Pappas voted against an income tax as state representative in 2004 and 2005, he voted against a constitutional resolution that would prohibit income taxes. Pappas also participated in a 2005 point-counterpoint with Jack Heath in the Hippopress stating that New Hampshire’s approach to taxes needed to be changed.
“Matt Mowers has been clear from the beginning that he is opposed to any effort that would leave those with pre-existing conditions without the healthcare they deserve. There is more we can and should be doing to improve on our existing health care system to lower costs and increase accessibility, but that doesn’t mean we should be supporting a government run health care system favored by Congressman Pappas and other Liberal Washington Democrats that would grab healthcare decisions from individuals and put them into the hands of bureaucrats,” said Mowers Campaign Manager John Corbett. “One thing is clear though: now that Congressman Pappas’ record as a serial tax hiker and income tax supporter has been exposed for all to see, he’s desperate to dodge, deflect and distract by lying about Matt Mowers. New Hampshire voters will see right through this phony political ploy.”
UPDATE: The Pappas campaign has provided an additional statement.