Tester Opposes Federal Sales Tax Bill

U.S. Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., took to the national airwaves to stress his opposition to proposed legislation that would create a 30 percent national sales tax.

House Bill 25, introduced by a group of House Republicans, would reportedly create a 30 percent national sales tax, eliminate the IRS and eliminate the income tax.

“Montana doesn’t have a sales tax. This is a really bad idea to put a 30 percent tax on everything,” Tester said on MSN’s The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell on Wednesday, Jan. 26. “It hurts working people across the nation and Montana.”

Tester promised that he would conduct a filibuster if needed in the Senate. “It’s not a silent filibuster. I will talk until the end of time,” the senator said.

The Democrat explained that the proposal would provide a tax break to the rich and put the burden on the middle class.

“It won’t work. It won’t build Montana,” Tester said.

He stressed that Montana doesn’t have a sales tax and the state doesn’t want the federal government forcing it on residents.

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. The Fair Tax Act introduced by Rep. Buddy Carter, R-Ga., and supported by 30 other Republicans would institute a 30 percent sales tax on all purchases in exchange for doing away with income, Social Security and Medicare taxes.

U.S. Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont, has also expressed his opposition to the bill.