Washington -- The federal government has prohibited states and localities from imposing a tax on Internet access since 1998. A provision included in the Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act of 2015 (H.R. 644) would make that ban permanent. Heritage Action released the following statement from chief executive officer Michael A. Needham:
"On very rare occasions genuine conservative policy victories emerge from a conference committee. A permanent ban on taxing Internet access is one such victory. The permanent ban also deprives proponents of an Internet sales tax from using it as leverage to achieve their unpopular and destructive policy. That is a double win for taxpayers. Heritage Action reserves the right to key vote against any effort to strip this important provision from the bill."