Johanns bill to repeal healthcare law’s 1099 provision reaches 60 co-sponsors

A bipartisan bill in the Senate that would repeal the unpopular 1099 provision in the healthcare law garnered 60 co-sponsors on Thursday, giving the legislation its best chance at passage so far. 

Since Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Mike Johanns (R-Neb.) introduced the bill on Tuesday, lawmakers have quickly signed onto the measure, which would eliminate the requirement that businesses file the forms to the IRS for every vendor with which they have at least $600 in transactions.

{mosads}”Today we hit the magic number 60 and I feel great about that,” Johanns told The Hill on Thursday. 

The measure has the support of 45 Republicans and 15 Democrats — Sens. Mark Begich (Alaska), Michael Bennet (Colo.), Maria Cantwell (Wash.), Kay Hagan (N.C.), Amy Klobuchar (Minn.), Manchin, Ben Nelson (Neb.), Mark Pryor (Ark.), Debbie Stabenow (Mich.), Jon Tester (Mont.), Mark Udall (Colo.), Mark Warner (Va.), Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.), Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) and Jim Webb (D-Va.).

Johanns failed twice last year to push through a bill, even though Democrats, Republicans and the White House agreed that the provisions would place an “onerous burden” on businesses.

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He credited President Obama’s backing of the repeal, combined with lawmakers learning about the issue, for his bill’s fast popularity in the 112th Congress. 

“We can start right now by correcting a flaw in the legislation that has placed an unnecessary bookkeeping burden on small businesses,” Obama said in his State of the Union address on Tuesday. 

In the past, a battle has ensued over how to pay for the measure and cover about $19 billion in estimated lost revenue. 

The Johanns bill authorizes the Office of Management and Budget to identify unobligated federal funds to cover the cost of repeal. 

With 60 members backing the measure, Johanns said he’s looking for a vehicle to which to attach his bill as an amendment as soon as possible. 

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) introduced a similar measure this week. 

The full list of co-sponsors:

• Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.)

• Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.)

• Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.)


• Sen. Mark Begich (D-Alaska)


• Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.)


• Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.)


• Sen. John Boozman (R-Ark.)


• Sen. Scott Brown (R-Mass.)

• Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.)

• Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.)


• Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.)

• Sen. Dan Coats (R-Ind.)

• Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.)


• Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.)

• Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine)

• Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.)

• Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas)

• Sen. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho)

• Sen. John Ensign (R-Nev.)

• Sen. Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.)

• Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.)

• Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa)

• Sen. Kay Hagan (D-N.C.)

• Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah)

• Sen. John Hoeven (R-N.D.)

• Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas)

• Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.)

• Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.)

• Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.)


• Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.)


• Sen. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.)

• Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah)

• Sen. Dick Lugar (R-Ind.)

• Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.)

• Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.)

• Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.)

• Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.)

• Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.)

• Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska)

• Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.)

• Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.)


• Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.)


• Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio)

• Sen. Mark Pryor (D-Ark.)


• Sen. Jim Risch (R-Idaho)

• Sen. Pat Roberts (R-Kan.)

• Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.)


• Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.)


• Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine)

• Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.)  


• Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.)


• Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.)

• Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.)


• Sen. Mark Udall (D-Colo.)

• Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.)


• Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.)


• Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.)


• Sen. David Vitter (R-La.)