More Democratic Senators come out against Obamacare's medical device tax

Former Senator Evan Bayh (D-IN) announced he had made a mistake in support Obamacare because of this tax.  Now others have joined the chorus.

. . . The previously obscure tax has, over the last several months, emerged as one of the most controversial in the health care overhaul and one of the few with bipartisan opposition. Starting Jan. 1, the Affordable Care Act imposes a 2.3 percent tax on medical devices with the goal of raising nearly $30 billion over the next decade.  

But a group of U.S. senators this week revived concerns that the tax could hurt one of the few U.S. industries "that enjoys a net trade surplus."  

"The medical technology industry directly employs over 400,000 people in the United States and is responsible for a total of 2 million high-skilled manufacturing jobs," Minnesota Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar and North Carolina Democratic Sen. Kay Hagan wrote in a letter with 16 other senators and senators-elect Monday to Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid. "In an environment focused on increasing exports, promoting small businesses and growing high-tech manufacturing jobs for the future, we must do all we can to ensure that our country maintains its global leadership position in the medical technology industry and keeps good jobs here at home."  

The lawmakers urged Reid to support a delay in implementation, warning of the business consequences. . . . .

UPDATE: Even more names appear:

Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.)

Kay Hagan (D-N.C.)

Al Franken (D-Minn.)

Herb Kohl (D-Wis.)

Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.)

John Kerry (D-Mass.)

Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.)

Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.)

Robert Casey (D-Pa.)

Ben Nelson (D-Neb.)

Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.)

Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.)

Dick Durbin (D-Ill.)

Joseph Lieberman (I-Conn.)

Patty Murray (D-Wash.)

Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.)

Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.)

Joe Donnelly (D-Ind.)