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Cosponsor H.R. 836 The Brewers Excise and Economic Relief Act of 2009

 

 

As Congress and the Obama administration deliberate over how best to stimulate the economy, increase revenues, and focus on incremental, positive change, the beer industry asks you to consider supporting a bill that captures these priorities; H.R. 836 introduced by Congressmen Pomeroy and Latham.

 

Now is the time to provide tax relief to the businesses and people that make up the U.S. beer industry and consume its products. The current federal excise tax impairs the ability of brewers, importers, and wholesalers to create high-quality domestic manufacturing and service jobs in the United States.  It is also a highly regressively tax on low- and middle- income workers.

 

Lower and middle-income Americans constitute the majority of beer drinkers in U.S. and are disproportionately affected by the federal beer excise tax.  Taxes on beer at all levels of government add up to more than $36 billion – over 40 percent of the total retail price paid. Approximately 50 percent of all beer purchased in the U.S. is by consumers with household income of $50,000 per year or less, resulting in a 6.5 times greater impact of excise taxes on households in the lowest income brackets than on those with the highest incomes.

 

The U.S. beer industry pays more than $3.6 billion in excise taxes to the federal government alone each year. Economic relief in the form of beer excise tax cuts will help sustain existing jobs that provide good wages and benefits in a wide range of blue and white collar occupations.  Tax relief is also a key investment tool for the future of domestic production. Facility improvements and equipment purchases further benefit communities and expand employment.

 

The U.S. beer industry, comprised of large and small brewers, beer importers, and beer distributors, provides nearly 138,000 high-quality, well-paying jobs in every congressional district in the country.  Our employees earn more than $9.6 billion in wages each year along with solid benefits.  These companies operate more than 4,800 facilities, including breweries and warehouses, across the country.  The economic impact of the brewing industry in each congressional district is available at www.beerservesamerica.com.

 

At a time when manufacturing operations continue to move overseas and critical sectors of the domestic economy struggle, the American beer industry remains a positive economic force.  The beer industry helps support more than 1.7 million jobs in this country, and beer sales are an important contributor to the success of over 520,000 restaurants, convenience stores, pubs, supermarkets, and other retail establishments.  The total direct and indirect economic activity is valued at nearly $190 billion each year.

 

To cosponsor H.R. 836 please contact Diane Oakley in Congressman Pomeroy’s office at 225-2611 or Aaron Burnett in Congressman Latham’s office at 225-5476.