Byron Dorgan: “The fact is almost none of it is ever paid and almost none of it is ever collected. As I further understand the…”

“The fact is almost none of it is ever paid and almost none of it is ever collected. As I further understand the Senator's amendment, he is not suggesting that a State must do one thing or the other. He would simply change the law to comport with the Supreme Court decision in the Quill case that says the State will have the opportunity. This is an interstate commerce clause issue and the States are now prevented from the opportunity of making their own decision. The Senator would simply remove that prevention and say, ``Give the States the right to decide.'' I might say that I offered a piece of legislation like this in the House of Representatives when I was a member of the Ways and Means Committee. In fact, we voted it out of the subcommittee. Then it looked to me like it was snowing in July, because the mail-order catalog companies began blizzarding the country and Capitol Hill with postcards, sending postcards out, asking people to sign them and send them in saying, ``This is a proposal that would increase taxes.'' Of course, it was simply untrue.”