Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.) and his cohorts stall passage of Internet taxation ban
WASHINGTON – The Senate Democrats have done it again, stalling yet another piece of important legislation from passage. Senate Bill 150, the Internet Tax-Non Discrimination Act, was pulled from the floor today and pushed into next week\’s schedule. The bill aimed to make permanent a temporary ban on Internet taxation that expired last Saturday.
"Avoiding the issue will not make it go away. Every day without action on S. 150 opens the door to new taxation," said Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform (ATR). "Dorgan and his buddies are dragging this out in hopes that they can delay it long enough to prevent a new permanent ban on taxing the Internet. That would be a terrible result."
Without a new moratorium, Internet taxes right now apply on an individual state-by-state basis. Not only do such taxes hurt consumers directly-taxing emails and online purchases-but they also negatively influence education and research in schools, libraries, hospitals and living rooms across the nation, ATR says. Passing the legislation would prevent new taxes and end the discrimination in the present law against different types of Internet access, making this invaluable tool for businesses and personal use permanently tax-free.
"Allowing this bill to sit dormant only hurts American business and education. Eventually, not passing the Internet Non-Discrimination Act [S. 150] spells disaster to the economy by every states county, city, township, and hamlet the ability to tax a currently tax-free resource," said Norquist. ATR argues small businesses would no longer be able to afford the outreach they currently enjoy because new Internet taxes will saddle them with added expenses, preventing them from expanding their markets, and hurting family-owned shops and services.
"Daschle\’s party slaps the American public in the face with this delay," continued Norquist. "If the Democrats continue to beat up on working families, they will no longer be able to say they work for average Americans. It is clear that Senate stallers are fighting against American families, not for them."