“This bill proves that once a tax is signed into law in Washington, D.C., its life span is virtually endless,” Jones said. “For more than 100 years, every family in this country with a telephone has been forced to pay this outdated tax.  I am proud to have cast my vote to give all consumers a break from this burdensome tax.”

Congress first enacted a telephone excise tax in 1898 to help pay for the Spanish-American War.  At that time, the tax amounted to one penny on all long-distance calls of more than 15 cents. While it was intended to be a temporary tax, efforts to phase it out over the years have proven unsuccessful.  In 1990, Congress succeeded in making it a permanent three-percent tax on all telecommunications services. 

 Rep. Jones is a co-sponsor of H.R. 3916. President Clinton has expressed hesitation about signing the legislation into law should it receive majority support in the Senate.