{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://lahood.house.gov/2023/9/lahood-ways-and-means-colleagues-push-back-on-canada-s-discriminatory-digital-services-tax", "LaHood, Ways and Means Colleagues Push Back on Canada's Discriminatory Digital Services Tax", "2023-09-19", "2023", "2023-09", "Republican", "House", "IL", "Darin LaHood", "L000585", "lahood.house.gov", "lahood", "https://lahood.house.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Representative Darin LaHood (IL-16), a co-chair of the Digital Trade Caucus, and Reps. Suzan DelBene (WA-01), Beth Van Duyne (TX-24), and Bill Pascrell, Jr. (NJ-09) led their House Ways and Means Committee Colleagues in urging the U.S. Treasury Department, the U.S. Trade Representative, and the Organization for Economic Cooperation & Development to combat Canada\u2019s unilateral imposition of a digital services tax (DST) that goes against the global consensus and underscored how Canada\u2019s action will hurt American interests.\n\n\u201cWe write as Members of the Ways and Means Committee to express our disapproval of Canada\u2019s decision to move forward with a digital services tax that, if imposed, would seriously harm American companies and workers,\u201d the members write. \u201cWe urge you to impress upon your counterparts in Canada that its unilateral approach is discriminatory and, if enacted, could face significant consequences.\u201d\n\nThe letter is signed by Reps. LaHood, DelBene, Van Duyne, Pascrell, Jodey Arrington (R-TX-19), Donald Beyer (D-VA-08), Earl Blumenauer (D-OR-03), Brendan Boyle (D-PA-02), Vern Buchanan (R-FL-16), Mike Carey (D-OH-15), Judy Chu (D-CA-28), Danny Davis (D-IL-07), Ron Estes (R-KS-04), Dwight Evans (D-PA-03), Randy Feenstra (R-IA-04), A. Drew Ferguson (R-GA-03), Michelle Fischbach (R-MN-07), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA-01), Jimmy Gomez (D-CA-34), Kevin Hern (R-OK-01), Mike Kelly (R-PA-16), Daniel Kildee (D-MI-05), David Kustoff (R-TN-08), John Larson (D-CT-01), Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY-11), Carol Miller (R-WV-02), Blake Moore (R-UT-01), Gregory Murphy (R-NC-03), Jimmy Panetta (D-CA-19), Stacey Plaskett (D-VI), Linda S\u00e1nchez (D-CA-38), Bradley Schneider (D-IL-10), David Schweikert (R-AZ-01), Terri Sewell (D-AL-07), Adrian Smith (R-NE-03), Lloyd Smucker (R-PA-11), Michelle Steel (R-CA-45), W. Greg Steube (R-FL-17), Claudia Tenney (R-NY-24), Mike Thompson (D-CA-04), and Brad Wenstrup (R-OH-02).\n\nThe full text of the members\u2019 letter is below and HERE.\n\nSeptember 19, 2023\n\nThe Honorable Katherine Tai\n\nUnited States Trade Representative\n\n600 17th Street NW\n\nWashington, DC 20508\n\nThe Honorable Janet Yellen\n\nSecretary\n\nDepartment of the Treasury\n\n1500 Pennsylvania Avenue NW\n\nWashington, DC 20220\n\nThe Honorable Karen Enstrom\n\nDeputy Permanent Representative of the\n\nUnited States of America to the\n\nOrganization for Economic\n\nCooperation & Development\n\n2, rue Andr\u00e9 Pascal\n\n75016 Paris\n\nDear Ambassador Tai, Secretary Yellen, and Ms. Charg\u00e9 d\u2019Affaires ad interim:\n\nWe write as Members of the Ways and Means Committee to express our disapproval of Canada\u2019s decision to move forward with a digital services tax (DST) that, if imposed, would seriously harm American companies and workers. Despite nearly all 140 economies participating in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development\u2019s (OECD) work to reach agreement on updated international tax rules approving a one-year extension of the moratorium on DSTs through December 31, 2024,[1] we are disappointed that Canada is unfortunately moving against this global consensus with a punitive DST scheduled to take effect next year.[2] We urge you to impress upon your counterparts in Canada that its unilateral approach is discriminatory and, if enacted, could face significant consequences.\n\nThe proposed three percent DST included in Canada\u2019s budget would apply retroactively to January 1, 2022. Canada\u2019s unusually aggressive and discriminatory approach would target U.S. companies and workers who would disproportionally bear the burden of this new tax. Further, Canada\u2019s approach raises serious questions about its obligations under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement and the World Trade Organization Agreement.\n\nWe echo the Biden administration\u2019s message that Canada should drop its proposed tax, along with the warning that the United States \u201cwould examine all options, including under our trade agreements and domestic statutes,\u201d if Canada does not change course. Given our prolific trading relationship with Canada, its retroactive DST proposal would be especially damaging to U.S. industry and workers. Therefore, we strongly encourage the Biden administration to work with Congress on action to safeguard our economy and challenge these unfair practices, including through our trade agreements and domestic trade statutes.\n\nThe Biden administration pushed to extend the moratorium on DSTs to allow more time for negotiations on a multilateral convention addressing the establishment of taxing rights for market jurisdictions. If Canada chooses to proceed with its DST despite this moratorium, that choice would be risky and may damage bilateral relations with its largest trading partner. The decision by nearly all economies participating in the OECD\u2019s two-pillar process to extend the moratorium reflects a broad international consensus that unilateral DSTs are counterproductive.\n\nAccordingly, we ask in our oversight capacity as members of the Ways and Means Committee that you provide us an update by October 3, 2023 on your efforts to ensure Canada does not enact a DST or any other discriminatory unilateral measure.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T00:37:48Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://lahood.house.gov/2023/9/lahood-ways-and-means-colleagues-push-back-on-canada-s-discriminatory-digital-services-tax"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.8353311568498611, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}