Oct. 3 — Critics of the Affordable Care Act's excise tax on medical devices took a new tack toward killing it by proposing a repeal measure to ride on—or alongside—an otherwise “clean” bill to end the government shutdown.

The bipartisan proposal by Reps. Charles Dent (R-Pa.) and Ron Kind (D-Wis.) would pay for a repeal of the 2.3 percent tax by changing how companies contribute to employee pension plans, in order to provide more up-front revenue.

The lawmakers said they described the idea in a letter Oct. 3 to House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), which they were circulating among colleagues for signatures. Neither leader endorsed the concept.