Setting priorities: Coats talks about health care, coal and bipartisanship
Jan 23, 2014 News and Tribune

By Daniel Suddeath

NEW ALBANY — He spoke of bipartisanship, but most of Sen. Dan Coats’ 2014 road map shared with business leaders and elected officials at One Southern Indiana Thursday centered around Republican-backed issues.

Repealing or delaying portions of the Affordable Care Act, easing restrictions on the coal and natural gas industries and eliminating government waste were among the key topics Coats discussed, though he stressed there are opportunities to work across the aisle on those issues.

“It’s no secret that last year was a miserable, frustrating, get-nothing-done year,” said Coats, R-Ind. “I’m cautiously optimistic that 2014 will be better.”

While repealing the Affordable Care Act isn’t likely, Coats said there are some portions of the legislation he believes both Democrats and Republicans would like to change, specifically the Medical Device Tax.

The tax burdens employers in the industry and could threaten jobs in Indiana, Coats said.

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