Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., has proposed a tax credit for small businesses that offer health insurance to their employees.
Speaking to a Latino civil rights and advocacy group, the National Council of La Raza in San Diego, he credited former rival Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., with coming up with the idea. The refundable credit would provide as much as 50 percent of the premiums that small businesses paid on behalf of their employees.
"We know that small businesses are the engines of economic prosperity in our communities, especially Latino communities," said Obama, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Obama and his Republican rival, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., hope to woo the Latino vote in the presidential elections. Obama criticized McCain's policies, saying his own plan would "help more employers provide health benefits for their workers, instead of making it harder for them, as Sen. McCain would do."
The McCain camp, however, contended that Obama's plan left many questions unanswered, including how many businesses would receive the credit. Obama advisers said they would work out the details later of what size businesses would qualify for the credit.
