Blunt Amendment Seeks To Spare Americans From Global Taxes

by Mike Godfrey, Tax-News.com, Washington

22 July 2005

Passed by voice vote in the House on Tuesday, an amendment sponsored by House Majority Whip Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) to the Foreign Relations Authorization Act for fiscal years 2006 and 2007 seeks to prevent the taxation of American citizens or businesses by international entities.

The Blunt Amendment will prevent the enactment of any global or international tax by requiring the US representative to all U.N.-affiliated bodies to oppose all efforts to levy such a tax. Additionally, the amendment protects the American people from global taxation by waiving any obligation to pay such an international tax.

“The United States already pays nearly 25 percent of the United Nations’ $2 billion annual budget,” Blunt observed, adding: “This payment, of course, comes out of the pockets of the American people."

“Congress sent the message today that we will oppose any attempts to levy even more back-door taxes on the American people,” he continued. “International taxation is out of step with our nation’s formative opposition to ‘taxation without representation’.”

“The specter of international taxation is not as remote or outlandish as it may seem,” Blunt added, referring to French President Jacques Chirac's support for an international airline tax to finance global development projects.

Blunt also noted a senior U.N. staffer to Kofi Annan recently suggested the most effective way to close the $65 billion gap in the U.N. anti-poverty budget was a global tax.

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