[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 172 Introduced in House (IH)]







106th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. CON. RES. 172

  Expressing the sense of Congress in opposition to a ``bit tax'' on 
 Internet data proposed in the Human Development Report 1999 published 
              by the United Nations Development Programme.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             August 4, 1999

  Mr. Sessions (for himself, Mr. Doolittle, Mr. Armey, Mr. Barton of 
Texas, Mr. Boehner, Mr. Bonilla, Mr. Brady of Texas, Mr. Burr of North 
  Carolina, Mr. Burton of Indiana, Mr. Chambliss, Mrs. Chenoweth, Ms. 
    Dunn, Mr. Goode, Mr. Hall of Texas, Mr. Hansen, Mr. Hastings of 
Washigton, Mr. Hayworth, Mr. Hostettler, Mr. Istook, Mr. Sam Johnson of 
Texas, Mr. Lewis of California, Mr. Linder, Mr. Lucas of Oklahoma, Mr. 
  McInnis, Mr. McIntosh, Mr. Mica, Mr. Gary Miller of California, Mr. 
   Ney, Mr. Ose, Mr. Paul, Mr. Pease, Mr. Peterson of Minnesota, Mr. 
Pombo, Mr. Rogan, Mr. Schaffer, Mr. Shadegg, Mr. Shimkus, Mr. Sweeney, 
Mr. Tancredo, Mr. Terry, Mr. Tiahrt, Mr. Watts of Oklahoma, Mr. Wicker, 
   Mr. Reynolds, Mr. Cook, and Mrs. Myrick) submitted the following 
     concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on 
                        International Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
  Expressing the sense of Congress in opposition to a ``bit tax'' on 
 Internet data proposed in the Human Development Report 1999 published 
              by the United Nations Development Programme.

Whereas the Internet has rapidly become a highly valued tool for millions of 
        people in the United States and across the world and promises to become 
        an ever-greater benefit to mankind;
Whereas the Internet has spurred entirely new industries dominated by the United 
        States and has become critical to the continued growth of our economy;
Whereas emerging telecommunications technologies promise to extend the benefits 
        of the Internet to ever-growing and far-flung populations;
Whereas the Internet should remain tax-free;
Whereas any global tax collected by the United Nations would present a threat to 
        the sovereignty of the United States and would violate the United States 
        Constitution;
Whereas Americans are by far the greatest users of the Internet and would thus 
        be disproportionately affected by any global Internet tax;
Whereas the most effective and just way to spread technology and wealth is 
        through the operation of a free market;
Whereas the rapidly increasing sophistication and decreasing cost of 
        telecommunications and computing products and services should not be 
        disturbed; and
Whereas the United Nations Development Programme's Human Development Report 1999 
        proposed that a so-called ``bit tax'' be levied on all data sent through 
        the Internet: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That Congress urges the Administration to protect United States 
sovereignty by aggressively opposing the global ``bit tax'' proposed in 
the Human Development Report 1999 published by the United Nations 
Development Programme.
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