Murkowski Votes to Permanently Ban Internet Taxes
Today Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) voted for H.R. 644, the Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act, a bill that makes improvements to U.S. Customs and Border Protection activities and policies to help enforce our trade laws, remove barriers to trade, and help small businesses thrive. The bill also contains language from legislation she co-sponsored that would permanently ban the implementation of new taxes on internet access. The bill passed in a vote of 75-20.
“Alaskans already face high internet costs and in many remote communities have limited or no connectivity at all, so it is crucial in our state more than most to shut the door on new taxes and fees,” said Senator Murkowski. “In a large, rural state like Alaska, the internet is a lifeline to communication and information for many. It is great to see my Senate colleagues support this legislation to prevent pricey tax hikes on something so essential to many Alaskans.”
Since 1998, Congress has banned taxes on Internet access through a limited moratorium, which is scheduled to expire December 11, 2016. H.R. 644 permanently extends a moratorium on Internet access taxes, removing the threat of any new state or local taxes on the use of or access (for example: bandwidth taxes, or e-mail taxes) for Alaskans.
