Roy Blunt: “first of all, I wish to talk about the bill that is on the floor. I agree with Senator Franken--this is a bill that…”

“first of all, I wish to talk about the bill that is on the floor. I agree with Senator Franken--this is a bill that enjoys bipartisan support. We saw in the budget debate just how broad and how bipartisan that support is. It is the right thing to do. It is the fair thing to do. It is a situation where government no longer decides that one business located in a community that provides the police protection, the sidewalk, and whatever else one might use as one goes into a local store and looks something over, is disadvantaged over a business that is located somewhere else. Also, there is a fundamental policy of the importance of having laws on the books that are actually enforced. In almost all the States--I think the number is somewhere near 37 or 38 States--this tax is currently due. This tax is supposed to be voluntarily paid, and winking and nodding on not paying this tax creates real concerns. I think in Missouri last year--a State where this tax is supposed to be paid as a use tax--300 people filed that they owed this tax and paid some of that use tax. Now, my absolute certain guess is that more than 300 Missourians received something in the mail at their house that didn't have taxes paid on it when they received it. So my view would be that we should do one of two things: We should either take all of those laws off the books or determine a way where the laws that States have are actually able to be enforced by those States.…”