Key Vote Letter in Support of S. Con. 95

March 10, 2004

TO THE MEMBERS OF THE UNITED STATES SENATE:

The Senate is expected to consider an amendment to S. Con .Res. 95, the Fiscal Year 2005 Budget Resolution, which would reinstate the Superfund taxes that expired on December 31, 1995. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the world's largest business federation representing more than three million businesses of every size, sector, and region, strongly opposes this amendment because it would harm the economy and unfairly impact small businesses and, in turn, consumers.

Passage of S. Con. Res. 95 absent the amendment will ensure that our nation's national, economic, and personal security needs are met. Whereas raising taxes on industry sectors is contrary to Congressional efforts to stimulate the economy.

Superfund taxes would equate to an additional cost of doing business for certain targeted industries, and undoubtedly, a portion of those costs would ultimately be passed on to American consumers in the form of higher prices for products and services. Under Superfund and other statutes, companies are required to remediate any environmental contamination they cause. However, the Superfund tax proposed in the amendment would be levied on many companies and industries that have absolutely no connection to a Superfund site or to any environmental cleanup. The amendment would establish a direct tax on businesses not responsible for contamination at abandoned Superfund sites, and pose an indirect tax on consumers.

As debate over the budget continues, the focus should be enacting economic and budget policies that will continue the positive growth of our nation's economy and provide the resources to protect our country at home and abroad.

The U.S. Chamber urges the Senate to defeat any amendments that reinstate the Superfund taxes. Due to the importance of this issue, the U.S. Chamber may include votes related to this amendment in our annual How They Voted scorecard.

Sincerely,

R. Bruce Josten
Executive Vice President, Government Affairs
U.S. Chamber of Commerce