Kendra S. Horn: “I commend my colleagues, Mr. Portman and Mr. Matsui, and support H.R. 3916, the Phone Tax Repeal Act. In 1898, Congress…”

“I commend my colleagues, Mr. Portman and Mr. Matsui, and support H.R. 3916, the Phone Tax Repeal Act. In 1898, Congress approved a ``temporary'' tax of one cent on long distance phone calls, as a way of funding the Spanish-American War. When this tax was implemented, there were only about 1,300 phones in America. Today, more than 94 percent of American households have at least one phone, not to mention multiple phone lines or celluar phones. The Spanish-American War ended that same year, but the ``temporary'' tax still exists. Currently, anyone who makes a phone call or uses a phone line to dial up to the Internet pays a 3-percent Federal excise tax on that call. Low-income families, senior citizens, and anyone else on a fixed income are especially burdened by this tax. They should not have to spend their hard-earned money on a useless and outdated tax. Telephones, and other telecommunication technologies, have become a necessity in today's world. They are no longer a luxury enjoyed only by a privileged few. To tax necessities such as these, especially when we have a surplus, is unfair, repressive, and senseless. This legislation would have a real and beneficial effect. Families would see an immediate reduction in their phone bill once the tax is repealed, giving them more money to spend as they, and not the Federal Government, see fit. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation. Americans have put up with this outdated tax for too long.”