Taxpayer Group Calls on Kerry to Stop Collaborating With the European Union

Democratic presidential candidate working with Europeans to impose tariffs in key swing states

WASHINGTON – Earlier this month, Democratic Presidential candidate, Sen. John Kerry proclaimed foreign leaders were pushing for him to win the election over President George W. Bush. Many people have shrugged this statement off as empty rhetoric, but the recent actions of the European Union (EU) and Sen. Kerry demonstrate otherwise. In fact, it appears that Kerry is working with the Europeans to impose tariffs on U.S. made products in key swing states to inflict painful job losses and keep the economy down during this election year.

"It\’s official," said taxpayer advocate Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform (ATR). "Europe is actively participating in the U.S. election and is collaborating with the Kerry campaign. ATR calls on Kerry to stop this collaboration now and remove the tariffs being placed on U.S. companies and workers."

The Foreign Sales Corporations (FSCs) and the extraterritorial income exclusion (ETI) export subsidies were found to be in violation of World Trade Organization (WTO) agreements due to a suit brought by the EU. As of March 1 st the EU started to impose tariffs on U.S. made products in key presidential swing states with additional tariffs being levied at the beginning of each month absent changes to the tax law.

President Bush and Congress have put forward a plan to remedy the situation and bring the U.S. tax code into compliance with the WTO ruling. Yesterday, the Senate Democrats, in near unison, filibustered the remedy to ensure the tariffs stay in place. The Democrats collaboration with the EU is making U.S. companies less competitive, inflicting jobs losses here in America, and undermining overall economic growth.

" Coordinating political maneuvers to inflict job losses in swing states is economic treason," continued Norquist. "If Euro-socialists don\’t want Bush to be President of the United States , bully for them. But for a challenger to look to Europe to inflict pain in the United States is taking Machiavellian power plays to a level never before seen in American politics."