ICYMI: Stop Internet Bills from Rising in November
Cruz attempts to pass legislation to keep Internet access tax free, Democrats block it
WASHINGTON, DC -- U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, today requested unanimous consent to pass H.R. 3086, a bill that would stop Internet bills from increasing by making permanent the current ban on Internet access taxes, which expire in November.
“If the Senate refuses to take action, the Internet will be taxed this November," Sen. Cruz said. “For a decade and a half, Americans have been able to use the Internet all across the country free of taxes, and Republicans and Democrats have agreed on this basic principle… I would note that anyone objecting to this right now is setting the stage for a massive internet tax.”
He went on, “We ought to come together on what should be a noncontroversial bill, a bill that has passed three times before, a bill that was signed by President Bill Clinton, a bill that in this body is introduced by a senior Democrat, we ought to come together in a bipartisan way to say, we stand in unison protecting Internet tax freedom.”
Earlier this year, the House passed H.R. 3086, the Permanent Internet Tax Freedom Act. The Senate version, S. 1431 that is sponsored by Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, has 52 Senate cosponsors, including Sen. Cruz and 18 Senate Democrats.
Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, D-North Dakota, objected to the legislation.
Sen. Cruz was joined on the floor by Sen. Kelly Ayotte, R.-New Hampshire, supporting legislation to keep the Internet tax-free. Sen. Mike Lee, R.-Utah, later spoke on the Senate floor in favor of the legislation as well.
###
