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See Whether Your Senators Voted for the Internet Sales Tax Here!

Last night, the Senate voted to pass the so-called Marketplace Fairness Act (S. 743) and send it to the House.  This bill allows states to band together to form a sales tax cartel under which a business which sells products online must collect taxes for states where their goods are being shipped.  There are a multitude of problems with this bill – it is potentially unconstitutional, it raises taxes, it will harm startup businesses online, and it fundamentally changes the way that taxes can be collected.

Twenty-one Republicans joined most of the Democrats in voting to pass this internet sales tax scheme.  See the roll call vote HERE.

The GOP tax-hikers are:

Lamar Alexander (TN) *co-sponsor*
Roy Blunt (MO) *co-sponsor*
John Boozman (AR) *co-sponsor*
Richard Burr (NC)
Saxby Chambliss (GA)
Dan Coats (IN)
Thad Cochrane (MS)
Susan Collins (ME) *co-sponsor*
Bob Corker (TN) *co-sponsor*
Mike Enzi (WY) *Sponsored the bill*
Deb Fischer (NE)
Lindsey Graham (SC) *co-sponsor*
John Hoeven (ND)
Johnny Isakson (GA)
Mike Johanns (NE)
John McCain (AZ)
Rob Portman (OH)
Jeff Sessions (AL)
Richard Shelby (AL)
John Thune (SD)
Roger Wicker (MS)

Big-box retail corporations have been lobbying hard for this law for over a decade because it will harm their online competitors, and unfortunately their deep pockets have paid off in the Senate.  Fortunately, the bill faces an uncertain future in the House.

Check out FreedomWorks’ Key Vote notice and our Issue Analysis to learn more about why the Marketplace Fairness Act is neither free-market nor fair.

And, as always, be sure to let your Senators know how you feel about their vote – good or bad.