Tester Leads Senate Resolution Opposing National Sales Tax

Senator pledges to take on anyone to defeat ‘awful’ tax hike on Montanans

Today, U.S. Senators Jon Tester (D-Mont.) and Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) introduced a Senate resolution opposing H.R. 25, proposed legislation from House Republicans that would effectively create a 30 percent national sales tax.

“A national sales tax is an awful idea—we don’t have one in Montana, and we don’t need the federal government imposing one on us,” said Tester. “At a time when working families are getting killed by inflation along with rising health care and housing costs, the last thing we need is to raise prices on everything from gas to groceries. That’s why I’ll take on anyone to stop this plan and make sure DC politicians don’t raise taxes on hardworking Montanans.”  

“At a time when hardworking families are experiencing high inflation and rising costs, Congressional Republicans are working to enact a tax plan that would dramatically raise the prices families pay for food, medicine, and all other goods and services,” said Senator Rosen. “I urge the full Senate to join me in rejecting this new tax and, instead, work toward a tax cut for the middle class to give hardworking families more breathing room.”

Last month, House Republicans introduced H.R. 25 and reportedly have an agreement with Speaker Kevin McCarthy to hold a vote on the tax bill. According to the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center, this national sales tax would likely hit middle- and lower-income families harder than the current income tax system, and parents would be increasingly burdened by the plan.

Tester was one of the first and most vocal senators to announce his opposition to the proposed sales tax, emphasizing that the plan would raise taxes on every good from gas to groceries and skyrocket costs for Montana’s working families.

Additionally, Tester sent a letter to Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell expressing his opposition to the tax hike and pledging to “take on anyone” to defeat the proposal.

You can read Tester’s resolution HERE.